The Dead Among Us: Daryl Dixon
by AfireLove1998
Summary: It was the spring of '98 when Thalia met the rugged mechanic known as Daryl Dixon. Normally, Thalia wouldn't be interested in a man like Daryl. He was quiet, rude, and didn't know how to let loose. But then again, he was thoughtful, kind, and gentle with her. She allowed herself to fall in love with him. As soon as she did that, he left..." Read for finished summary.
1. Chapter O N E

THE DEAD AMONG US | DARYL DIXON [BOOK ONE]

It was the spring of '98 when Thalia met the rugged mechanic known as Daryl Dixon. Normally, Thalia wouldn't be interested in a man like Daryl. He was quiet, rude, and didn't know how to let loose. But then again, he was thoughtful, kind, and gentle with her. She allowed herself to fall in love with him. As soon as she did that, he left. Twelve years and two kids later, she meets him again. This time during the Apocalypse. [Daryl Dixon x OC, Season 1-3].

WARNING! Contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter One — Daisies & Oil

~March 1st, 1998 (approximately 10:23 a.m.)~

"Damn it! Fucking car won't start. Such a shame, it lasted me seven years!" I mumbled to myself as I tried to start my engine once again. I sighed, leaning my head back against the driver's seat, allowing my frustrations get the best of me. I closed my eyes for a second before making a decision on what to do. "Guess I'll walk to work."

I quickly gathered my things, and continued my small journey on foot.

It didn't take me long to get to my floral shop, considering the fact that I was sprinting in six inch heels, but I could see the people waiting in a crowded group like an angry mob to purchase their ordered flowers.

"I'm so sorry for your wait! I had some car trouble!" I told the very annoyed, impatient group of people.

"Whatever, lady. Do ya some justice to be on time next time 'round." A larger man with a beard said. I rolled my eyes as I unlocked my shop's door.

"Yeah, and it'd do ya some good to lose some weight. Fat fuck." I mumbled, opening my now unlocked door. I walked in with the people behind me. I had flowers laid out with the names of the customers who ordered them.

I didn't have to do much work. The customers picked up their flowers and laid the money on the counter, quickly leaving as soon as they did.

It was always weird to me that my busiest hours in the shop would be early in the morning. I shook my head with an amused grin as I started writing down the flowers I needed ordered in by tomorrow.

Just then, my assistant, Juliet, came in with a proud smile on her face. I raised an eyebrow, noticing her happy mood today.

"You didn't have a rough night like usual, huh?" I asked her as I continued writing. I could hear Juliet chuckle.

"You should hang out with me. Get some action in your life." She said with a smug smile. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't need any "action," Juliet. "I rather pick and count flowers." I replied.

It was then Juliet's turn to roll her eyes, she always thought that I should live it up like I'm sixteen. What she fails to realize is that we have two different definitions of "living it up". I would rather go to quiet bars to get to know someone in an intimate level. I'm not uptight, quite the opposite actually.

~••~

Juliet stood near her work area, watering the model flower bundles that were on display in the front of the store. She pressed her thin lips together. She never understood why her boss didn't have the urge to want to go out and have some wild fun, potentially meet someone.

"Yeah, that sounds like the life, staying at home...never having any fun." Juliet said sarcastically, referring to the earlier conversation she had with Thalia.

Thalia didn't respond, she smirked to herself noting Juliet's sarcasm.

"Hey, where's your car? I didn't see it parked outside."

Thalia looked up from her notes, her eyes shifted to the curious blonde.

"My car wouldn't start. I tried everything but the damn thing wouldn't move!"

"How long have you had it?"

"Since my 16th birthday...so seven years." Thalia said with a sigh before focusing on her paperwork once again.

"Have you had it checked on before?" Juliet asked as she walked over to the mini fridge behind the checkout counter, pulling out an orange juice pouch.

"No." Thalia said as she turned to continue writing out her flower list. "Never."

Juliet nodded before really taking in her surroundings, she looked outside and then noticed a sign on the building in front of the floral shop that read "Dixon's Garage". Juliet turned to Thalia.

"You do realize that your shop is in front of a car garage, right?" Juliet asked pointing to the building across the street. Thalia looked up from her writing and shrugged.

"Didn't notice." Thalia quickly said as she continued to write once again. Juliet stood there for a moment, her hands placed on her small waist. The younger girl sighed, walking over to Thalia, grabbing her pen and notes. "Hey! I'm not done."

Juliet looked at the notes and nodded. "Lia, these are basically the flowers you just sold. I'll call them in and pick them up myself! I'll even answer the phones all day. You need to go over there and see 'bout your car. Go!" Thalia raised her eyebrows and grabbed her purse.

"Who made you the boss?" Thalia asked Juliet as she walked out of her shop and across the street.

She looked up at the garage sign once more before entering.

The sound of classic rock music was the first thing Thalia noticed. The smell of oil and cigarettes was the first thing her nose smelled. Thalia had a strong stomach, so the stench didn't really bother her. She looked ahead to see a body behind the hood of a car. It was a man with tan skin, and strong arms.

"Um, hello?" Thalia said softly, but the music was so loud that she was pretty sure he couldn't hear her. "Excuse me?!"

The man looked over his shoulder to look at her. He turned off his music and faced her direction, giving her a chance to really take in his appearance.

He had short brown hair, clean shaven face, and a beauty mark right above his lips. He had small defined muscles, but his arms were still bigger than hers. He was about 6'0", if not, close to it. He had broad shoulders and a big chest. Thalia realized she was staring, so she quickly averted her eyes.

"Can I help you with somethin'?" He said with his gruff voice. Thalia was sure the man didn't mean to come off as rude, or maybe he did.

She observed that his hands were drenched in dried oil. Whatever he was doing behind that car, he was working hard.

"Um, my name is Thalia Carter...I own the floral shop right across from you..." Thalia started to say awkwardly. It was no secret that she was a little intimidated by the man in front of her.

"I don't want no house warming gift." The man said with a scoff as he turned around, continuing to work on the car again.

"I didn't bring you a gift!" Thalia said, she was starting to get a little peeved at how this man was acting towards her. He was rude and distant, a total ass in her opinion.

"Then what do you want?"

"My car won't start."

"So?" The man asked. Thalia shifted on her feet awkwardly.

"I was wondering if you would take a look at it."

"Where is it?" He asked wiping his hands on a dirty red towel.

"It's at my house." Thalia said with a sigh. The man looked at her and shook his head.

"I don't do house visits."

"What if I paid you extra? Please? It's the only car that reminds me of my mom. Please." Thalia tried to bargain. She knew she hit some type of nerve bringing up the word "mom" but she chose to ignore it.

The man stood there thinking about for a minute before nodding. Thalia gave him a big smile.

"Thank you! Um, here's my address.." Thalia quickly wrote down her address on a small piece of note paper. "There ya go." She said as she handed him the paper. She started to walk away but quickly turned around, only to see him still looking at her. She felt a little insecure under his gaze but she brushed it off.

"I didn't get your name. I'm sorry."

"Daryl." He told her.

Thalia gave him a small smile,

"Daryl? It fits."

Daryl continued to look at her. They exchanged glances at each other as she walked back over to her floral store. Daryl looked down at the paper once more and scoffed before getting back to work.

~March 1st, 1998 (approx. 4:53 p.m.)~

Thalia sat on her couch with her daily shipping notes and list of potential buyers in her lap. Every minute or so she would take a sip from her glass that was filled with sweet tea.

The silent sounds of loneliness made Thalia's brown skin shiver.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Thalia looked up, placing her notes beside her before walking towards the door. She opened it to see a man with a cigarette between his thin lips, it was the man from earlier.

"Daryl, right?" Thalia said with a small smile as she led him into her home. Daryl nodded, putting out the cigarette as he entered the cozy house.

"Yeah. Your name Tiffany, ain't it? Somethin' like that." Daryl mumbled. Thalia glanced at the floor then back at him.

"It's Thalia, actually. You can call me Lia if it helps you remember."

"Nah, I can remember Thalai."

"Thalia." She said once again. Daryl nodded.

"Thalia." Daryl said with his deep, southern accent. Thalia didn't understand the spark that jolted through her when she heard him say her name.

"Yeah, that's my name." She said with a small smile. The young woman cleared her throat as she led him to her garage. "Let me show you the car."

Thalia turned the garage light on, showing her white 1989 Volkswagen Beetle. Daryl chuckled at the little car. Thalia crossed her arms and frowned.

"What's so funny?"

"Damn girl. You drive this little thing?" Daryl asked as he walked over to the vehicle.

"Yes! Shelly has gotten me where I needed to go, she doesn't use that much gas either."

Daryl smirked. "Shelly, huh?"

"Yes, Shelly." Thalia said playfully as she rolled her eyes.

"You mind popping Shelly's hood for me?" Daryl asked.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Thalia walked past Daryl before grabbing her car keys and unlocking the car door.

Daryl couldn't help but let his eyes gaze at Thalia's features, she was without a doubt beautiful. He noticed the smallest things about her first, like how when she's uncomfortable she shifts on her feet and tilts her head slightly to the left or how shy she was around new company. Or maybe everyone is like that, but there was something about this girl that had him intrigued.

"So, uh, how old are you anyways?" Daryl asked as Thalia got inside her car.

"I'm 23. You?" Thalia replied as she popped the hood of her car.

"I'm 28." Daryl told her. He took a mental note, thanking the stars above that she was of legal age. "So, uh, what you say you do?"

"I run my mom's floral business instead of pursuing the career with the degree I worked my ass off for." Thalia said with a scoff.

"Somethin' happen to her? Your mom?"

"Yeah, she died of cancer last year." Thalia said avoiding Daryl's gaze. Daryl looked at the girl, he didn't feel sorry for her because he wouldn't want anyone else showing him pity whenever he talks about his mom. "She bought me this car on my 16th birthday."

"Sorry 'bout your ma." Daryl mumbled as he opened the popped hood. Daryl whistled lowly as he took in the damaged car in front of him. "Damn."

"What?" Thalia asked, her eyes knit together. She was confused.

"When was last time you had this car checked out?"

"Never." Thalia mumbled. Daryl didn't hear her.

"Huh?"

"Never."

"Whatcha mean never? Not even an oil change?" Daryl said looking from the engine to her. Thalia shook her head shyly. "How the hell is this car still running?"

"It's not."

"You know what I mean, smartass." Daryl said. Thalia smirked at his comment.

"Can you fix it?" Thalia asked.

"I can try. Might take a few weeks." Daryl told her truthfully. Thalia nodded and then sighed. Daryl noticed her discomfort. "What?"

"I was a little late to work and the people went all snappy, because I decided to walk. I guess I'll have to get up earlier for a while." Thalia said with a shrug.

"Nah, you can catch a ride with me. I don't live far from you. You're actually on the way to my garage."

"Are you sure?"

Daryl sighed. "You want the ride or not?"

"I'll take it." Thalia said with shy smile as she looked up from the ground to Daryl's eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before she broke their gaze. "Um, I should let you get started then, huh?"

Daryl nodded as he took off his jacket, he walked pass her to go get his tools out of his truck. Thalia watched him leave. Their was something about him that made her curious. She wanted to know more about him. Hopefully, he felt the same.

~March 25th, 1998 (approx. 9:32 p.m.)~

Thalia and Daryl laughed at the ridiculous story she told him about the time she "ran away" from home.

"I was 13! My dad never really let us go places, so it's not like I knew where the hell I was going! It was the biggest fail I've ever experienced." Thalia chuckled before taking a sip of beer from the cold bottle that she held in her hand.

Daryl chuckled and shook his head. He loved the sound if her laugh, he figured that out not too long ago.

They spent a lot of time together since he was still working on her car. He noticed that they don't have much in common but she's like the sweet side of him that nobody will ever see. And for her, he's the badass, fearless son of a bitch she wish she could be. They balanced each other out perfectly.

"You've never punch somebody before?" Daryl asked with a raise eyebrow. Thalia shrugged.

"I have, but I've never been too good at it. I went to military school when I was 15...let's just say in combat, I'm useless. Give me a gun...I probably won't miss the target."

"I'll teach ya." Daryl said as he got up and placed his beer bottle on the table next to his tools. Thalia raised her eyebrow but played along. She quick put her hair in a ponytail before facing Daryl.

"Show me how you'd punch someone first." Thalia nodded and went to punch him but he grabbed her arm before she could strike him. "What the hell was that, Thalia?" He walked over to her and helped her get in the perfect position.

"When you hit me, you best mean it." Daryl told her sternly, she nodded and tried her best to punch him. If Daryl didn't move, she would have decked him. Daryl caught her arm once one, she lost her balance and fell into his arms. He held her up right and looked into her brown eyes as she stared into his blue ones.

Thalia thought the man in front of her was handsome and intriguing. Despite what he might think of himself. Thalia made the first move, since he wasn't going to, and kissed him. She felt him tense at first but eventually he kissed back.

The way his bottom lip moved between hers sent shivers down her spine. Daryl held her close, not wanting to let go. He never felt this way about any girl. He always told himself to never open up or let himself fall in love but with her it was different. He spent 9 hours with her daily if you add up the time he spent on her car, the rides he'd give, the amount of time she spends in the garage with him in his building. It wasn't like he was love struck at first, he was just curious about her; he didn't think that he'd be kissing her soft, pump lips.

Thalia slowly pulled away, so they could breathe for a moment. She instantly missed the feeling of his lips against hers. Daryl was still looking at her, she leaned again—this time asking for permission to kiss him. Daryl agreed by leaning in to kiss her once more, his hand slowly left her shoulders to her waist, pulling her closer.

The feeling of Daryl's rough hands against her skin sent shivers down her spine, causing her to moan quietly; parting her lips slightly.

Daryl took the opportunity to lick his tongue against hers, massaging it. Thalia couldn't help but moan again, he tasted like mint, cigarettes, and beer; which oddly tasted good.

Thalia jumped in his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as he held the bottom of her ass. Daryl blindly walked up some steps to a door that led them inside of Thalia's house, to which he did successfully without bumping into anything.

"Down the hall to the right." Thalia mumbled while her lips were still pressed against his. Daryl knew she was giving directions to her bedroom, which he happily led her to.

He gently laid her down on the bed, slowly playing with the hem of her shirt. Thalia spread her legs wider so Daryl could fit between them properly.

He slowly lifted the shirt over head, admiring her expose breast. He began to kiss her neck then her collarbone, slowly coming across her brown nipples. Daryl softy grabbed one with his free hand, wrapping his mouth and tongue around it while his other hand traced the other. Thalia gasped softly at the warm sensation her body was feeling.

It didn't take Daryl long to kiss down her flat stomach and unbutton her tight jeans, slowly taking them off along with her panties. Daryl took the time to admire her smooth legs as he kissed them, then her thighs, leaving him to admire one more part of her.

Daryl pressed his warm tongue against her core, leading him to suck her clitoris, making the young woman go insane.

"Daryl, I need you." Thalia said breathlessly. Daryl leaned over to kiss her once more. Thalia lifted his shirt and pulled him closer to her, feeling her bare chest against his.

Daryl unbuttoned his pants as he continued to kiss her, pulling it down to reveal his erected dick.

He pressed himself against her, slowly entering her warm corm. Thalia loved the way he felt inside of her, she loved the pleasure he gave her. Daryl kissed her neck as his pace began to quickly. Thalia moaned louder as she felt the building sensation unfold, allowing herself to reach her climax. Daryl doing the same not long after.

He laid beside her, trying to control his breathing. Thalia waited a second before she pressed a kiss against neck, rubbing her hand on his chest. Daryl wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"Next time, you get to sit back and relax." Thalia said seductively in his ear before laying her head on his chest and falling asleep.

~July 18, 1998 (approx. 7:57 p.m.)~

Daryl and Thalia became closer after that loving night they shared together. They continued to make lots of love and spend time together. Daryl fixed her car up, it was running smoothly.

Thalia closed up her shop before happily walking over to Daryl's garage.

"Daryl, you will not believe the stress I was going through today. This bastard—" Thalia began to say but went quiet when she noticed a man, older than Daryl was talking to him.

"Don't you see he closed, girl?" The man said with a raspy, southern accent.

"Leave her alone, Merle." Daryl told his brother. "Thalia, this is Merle. Merle, this is Thalia."

"Um, hi." Thalia said with a wave. "You must be Daryl's brother?"

"Yeah." Merle said with an eyebrow raised. "You must be his assistant or somethin'?"

"No," Thalia said with a scoff. She looked at Daryl. "Did you tell him that?"

"No, I didn't." Daryl said as he stared at her. Merle looked between them.

"Well, who the hell are you?" Merle asked and Thalia shifted on her feet uncomfortably. "You ain't his damn girlfriend because he knows that our kind and your kind ain't meant to be mixing."

Thalia felt a burning mix of anger and hurt towards her lover's brother. "That's the most ignorant thing I've ever heard! You racist bastard." Thalia yelled. Merle got on his feet and shoved the girl. Daryl reacted quickly and shoved his brother in return.

"You don't touch her, Merle!" Daryl yelled, his face heated from the almost fight between his brother and his girl. Merle was shocked that Daryl stood up to like that, over a girl.

"So, that's it, baby brother? Huh? You gonna kick my ass over some girl? Some black bitch?"

"You shut your mouth, Merle! Don't talk about her like that." Daryl told his brother. Merle couldn't believe his ears.

"Baby brother, I'm family...I'm blood. You wanna throw me away for her?" Merle spat at his brother.

"Ain't nobody talking about throwing you away."

"So damn dramatic." Thalia said.

"You shut your mouth, bitch! This between me and my brother!"

"You are such an ass. Daryl, can we go?" Thalia asked. Daryl turned to her and his words couldn't form. He was left to choose between blood and love, the way he was raised...

Blood comes before anything.

"Daryl?" Thalia asked. She looked into his eyes and could see the future regret he was going to have. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Daryl?" She asked again, her voice cracking.

"He's blood. I can't just kick him out." Daryl told her. He reached to touch her hand, but she backed away from him. She shook her head and scoffed. She looked between him and Merle and nodded, mostly to herself.

"Okay." She said barely above a whisper. Thalia looked at Daryl one last time before walking away.

Merle chuckled once the girl was gone. "You had me believing you was gon' choose her over me."

"Shut up, Merle." Daryl told his older brother. Daryl will never admit how bad and heartbroken he felt inside. "Why you always have to go and do that?"

"Do what? Baby brother, chicks her color don't settle down...I was doing you a favor."

"No, you say sorry to her! Okay? You hurt her! We don't hurt women! No matter what color they are! That's what mama told us." Daryl yelled before walking off. Merle stood there, thinking about what he said and sighed.

He was right. Their mom did tell them to never hurt a woman in any shape or form.

~July 20th, 1998 (approx. 9:12 a.m.)~

Thalia sat on the doctor's seat, waiting for the signed prescription for the stomach bug she caught weeks ago. She had a floral appointment so she needed them to hurry up. As she waited, she couldn't help but think about Daryl, the man she broke things off with two days ago. The feeling was still heavy on her heart but she had to get through it.

"Ms. Carter?" The tall man with thinning brown hair asked. Thalia nodded.

"Well, I can diagnose you but it ain't the stomach bug." The doctor said with a cheeky smile.

"Oh my God, it's cancer." Thalia said, thinking of the worst. The doctor quickly shook his head.

"No. No." The doctor said with a chuckle. "It's a baby."

Thalia eyes went wide. A baby?! She can't have a baby! Wait. Daryl's the father. Should she tell him? What the hell was she going to do?

"I take it that this wasn't a planned pregnancy?" The doctor asked noticing her shocked features.

"Should I give you information on abortion?"

"What? No. I'm keeping it." Thalia told the doctor sharply. "How far along am I?"

"From the test results, they say...hmm...16 weeks." The doctor told her. He then looked at her.

"You're a bit small for 16 weeks. Would you like us to perform a sonogram?"

"Um, yeah." Thalia said with a nod. "Can I use your phone? I have a floral appointment I need to cancel."

The doctor nodded. "Sure thing. I'll get a nurse in here for you."

~•~

"Okay, so, there's the head," the nurse told Thalia as she pointed at the baby's features. "Feet, arms, hands. Oh! Would you like to the sex?"

"Yes, please."

The nurse smiled happily, "Congratulations, it's a little girl."

A girl. Thalia was going to have a beautiful little girl. She couldn't believe it.

She looked at that black and white screen with pride and joy, she was so proud of her baby. Her little girl.

~November 10th, 1998 (approx. 2:13 p.m.)~

Thalia placed the vase full of flowers on the "pick up flowers" table, careful not to let her round stomach hit it and cause it to fall.

Juliet walked in carrying boxes full floral shop brochures; she was going to hand them out around town and the city that was about 20 miles away. The young girl noticed her boss doing some work.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Juliet asked her. "I told you I'd do all the work." The girl said shooing Thalia from the work area.

"Juliet. I'll feel helpless if I sat down all day." Thalia told as she sat down in her seat behind the counter.

"Shouldn't you be on bed rest anyway?"

"I refuse."

Juliet shook her head and continued to work, she noticed Thalia staring across the street.

Daryl was shaking hands with a customer, as the man walked away he couldn't help but glance in Thalia's direction, locking eyes with her before heading back into his garage.

"Does he know?" Juliet asked, referring to the baby.

"Hm? No. He doesn't." Thalia told her, shaking her head.

"Will he ever know?"

Thalia shifted and sighed. "I can't face him." Juliet was going to reply but then she realized a liquid substance coming from Thalia's seat, it didn't take her long to put two and two together.

"Thalia! Your water broke!"

"What?" Thalia asked before looking down. "I'll be damned! My water broke!"

~••~

It was November 10th, 1998 when she was born. The most beautiful baby in the world.

Thalia snuggled the baby close to her. Juliet smiled at the sight. She was really happy for Thalia, even though she felt keeping the baby away from Daryl was a bad idea, she was still happy for her boss.

"What's her name going to be?"

"Kacee." Thalia said with a small smile and a nod. "Kacee Kai Dixon. I want her to have some of daddy in there."

"Kai?"

"After my sister's middle name, she's paying the hospital bill."

"The one that lives in France?"

Thalia's gaze never left the infant in her arms. "Yeah, the one that lives in France. I only have one sister."

"Oh. Aww." Juliet said, in awe of a thought she just had. Thalia looked at her assistant, her friend.

"What?"

"We can call her KK!"

"Yeah, we can." Thalia said as the baby wrapped her tiny fingers around her mother's thumb. "Kacee Dixon, you are so beautiful."

~April 24th, 2006 (approx. 4:15 p.m.)~

"Okay, KK, don't forget to thank Juliet for getting you into the K-3 art program." Thalia said as she buttoned her daughter's cardigan.

"I know, mom." KK told her mother who constantly reminded her of everything.

"You'll be gone for only a few days. So, don't be scared when you get there. Juliet will be there if you get nervous."

"Yeah. And if I want to come home, call you. I know this, mommy." Thalia stared at her daughter and smiled.

"My little girl." Thalia whispered to herself as took in her little girl's features. Juliet came in the living with a sandwich in her hand.

"Ready to go, little one? Come on." Juliet said as she led KK out the door.

"Take care of her!" Thalia shouted from her place by the door.

"I will." Juliet shouted over her shoulders.

Thalia sighed, taking in her surroundings. This was the first time in a long time she had a house to herself.

~••~

Thalia sat at the dinner table, eating raw carrots and working out some bills that needed to be paid soon. There was a knock at the door, she quickly got up and answered it. It was someone she didn't expect, Daryl Dixon.

"Daryl?" She asked to make sure she wasn't going crazy.

"Thalia, I ain't think you were home."

Thalia crossed her arms, "Then why did you knock?"

"Practice for later."

"And what were you trying to practice for?" Thalia asked, her glare was cold as ice. "Why don't you run off to your brother?"

"Did Merle ever apologize?"

"I've known your brother for a short period of time and even I can tell he ain't the apologizing type." Thalia said with a frustrated sigh.

"Then I'll make him make it right!" Daryl said as he started to walk off. Thalia shook her head.

"Daryl, wait!" Daryl turned around. Thalia shifted uncomfortably.

"You want to come inside? I'll get you a drink." Thalia asked him. Daryl thought about it for a second and agreed to it.

Her place was so much different then the last time he was in there. Of course it was, it's been eight years. Thalia placed a cold beer in front of him.

"I see your back in town. You shut down your place a few years back." Thalia said, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, I went on the road with Merle...crazy bastard."

"Hm."

"I really have missed you." Daryl admitted to her openly. As soon as he said it, he regretted it.

"Yeah. I, uh, found myself missing you too."

Daryl grunted before taking a sip of his beer. "I...I'm sorry about everything."

"It took you eight years?" Thalia asked with a scoff.

"You know how many times I wanted to come back here and apologize? It took me enough years to work up the courage."

"Oh, what the fuck ever!" Thalia spat bitterly at him.

"You don't believe me? Damn it, Thally! Don't you get it? I ain't never been hung over nobody before until you come along batting your brown eyes at me. Shit! I said sorry, didn't I? You either take it or leave it!"

"You know what? Fuck you! I don't want your fucked up apology." Thalia yelled as Daryl got up, she pushed him back and hit his chest repeatedly, crying.

Daryl held her steady. They looked at each other. There was this undeniable urge she felt towards him, so she kissed him. And didn't stop. Daryl picked her up and placed her on the kitchen table, continuing their sinful acts.

~••~

Thalia woke up half naked on the couch the next morning, there was a note on the coffee table.

'Thalia, there was family emergency. I'll call you soon.'

"Yeah, family emergency by the name Merle." Thalia mumbled as stood up. The memories of last night was fresh in her mind, the way he touched her, and kissed her. She still loved him and he still loved her.

~May 31st, 2006 (approx. 7:11 a.m.)~

Thalia paced back and forth in her bathroom, waiting for this timer to go off was like waiting for rain in the sunny atmosphere.

And then it happened...the timer went off.

Thalia grabbed the stick that will determine her future, once again.

A pink positive.

Thalia sighed as the tears escaped her eyes. She couldn't be pregnant again, she can't be! Daryl didn't even know about the first one. He's going to hate her if he ever finds out.

~••~

It's been a few months since she's heard from Daryl. Figures. Merle says jump, Daryl asks, "How high?"

"So, there's really a baby in there, huh?" KK asked her mom as she cuddled in her bed with her.

"Yes, there's really a baby in there."

"How did it get there? You don't have a boyfriend." KK asked. She knew that in order to have a baby you needed a boyfriend or a husband. And the eight year old knew for a fact that her mom didn't have either.

"I'll tell you when you're 18, if you don't know by then." Thalia told her daughter.

"Is it a boy or girl?" The curious eight year old asked.

"I don't know. I hope it's a boy. Don't you want a brother?"

"No, I want a sister. Someone to relate to."

Thalia sighed before she chuckled. "I hope you get a brother."

~March 21st, 2010 (approx. 7:34 p.m.)~

Thalia sat on the couch, brushing KK's curly hair when she heard the news broadcast.

"This is an urgent message! Everyone lock your doors and windows, stay away from the infected! I repeat, stay away from the infected." The man said urgently.

Thalia felt something was really wrong in the pit of her stomach. She heard a piercing scream coming for her neighbor, she stood up and walked over to her window to see dead people devouring her neighbors and friends.

She then saw Juliet running towards her home only to see her get taken down by the dead. Thalia gasped, she acted quickly and turned off all the lights.

"What's going on, mom?" KK asked.

"Pack your stuff and go wake up Emma Kate! I'll get everything else. Pack your sister things as well."

"How much stuff?"

"Enough, not too heavy though. Grab two toys, not the big toys but the smaller ones. Make sure you wake Emma up as gently as possible so she isn't grumpy. Go, hurry." Thalia whispered as she reached for the gun under the kitchen counter.

This was the only thing she could thank her dad for, military training.

~•~•~•~•~•~ [A/N]

Came back to change a couple of things! So sorry about grammar or spelling errors! I try super hard to catch them before posting.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully you'll like to read more! Leave comments, please! I'd like to know what you're thinking about my book so far!

OC characters:

Joy Bryant as Thalia Carter

Cara Delevingne as Juliet Foster

Madison Pettis as Kacee Dixon

Nahla Aubry as Emma Kate Dixon


	2. Chapter T W O

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now.)

~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Two — Long Dark Roads

~May 26th, 2010~

It's been two long months since the outbreak happened. Two long months of constant killings of the dead. Two long months of sleepless nights for the worried, single mom.

Thalia looked in the backseat of one of the cars she hot-wired miles ago, to see her two girls sleeping peacefully.

Peaceful —such an unfamiliar word to her. It wasn't anything peaceful about the shit boat they were in. Maybe soon peace will be a thing once she reaches her destination.

Atlanta, GA.

Thalia was smart enough to take the bumpy, mountain ways out. She wanted to avoid any main roads, fearing that she'd run into the undead.

The mother heard groaning in the backseat, it was coming from her oldest daughter, KK.

"You okay, baby?" Thalia asked, glancing from the backseat to the road.

"How much further?" The little girl asked, officially walking up from her short slumber.

"Not far." Thalia told her. The girl sighed as she looked out the window, something that she doesn't do anymore. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"I'm tired of this shit."

"Watch your mouth!" Thalia snapped. KK nodded sadly.

"Sorry."

Thalia sighed and kept her eyes on the road. "It's okay. Mommy's tired of this shit too." Thalia smirked at the little girl. KK smiled at her mom and shook her head. "Just think, once we get to Atlanta...we'll be out of this hell hole."

Just then the car stopped. "I spoke too soon." Thalia mumbled.

"Ya think?" KK replied smartly.

"KK, stay in the car with your sister. It's dark out and I don't want y'all behind me."

"I know, mom. I know." KK reassured her.

"You have your gun?" Thalia asked to which the child replied with a nod.

~The CAMP~

Dale knew that not bringing Merle back would cause a lot of trouble with Daryl. No matter how much people might dislike Daryl, they needed him in the group.

The camp fire that everyone surrounded themselves with got quieter as each person went off to bed. Dale bid his good nights and went on top of the RV, keeping watch.

It was moments later when Dale spotted a white car passing the gravel road that led to camp. The car stopped, he noticed a woman get out and check under the hood.

He then realized the woman had children when he saw a little girl carrying a smaller child in her arms. Dale had to help them. He quickly climbed down his RV to fetch Shane and Rick.

~By The Car~

Thalia sighed when she looked to see the engine blew. It was dead.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath.

"Mom?"

Thalia jumped slightly but relaxed quickly when she heard her daughter's voice.

"I thought to told you to stay in the car." Thalia scolded.

"I know, but I got hot. Plus, Emma Kate woke up. She was crying for you." KK said, holding the four year old child close. Thalia picked up the child out of her big sister's arms. The small child held on to her mom tightly.

"You okay, bug?" Thalia asked. The four year old nodded. Thalia sighed, the little girl haven't uttered a word since the apocalypse started. Thalia knew it was because she was scared, but it still worried her that she wouldn't speak.

"What's wrong the car?" KK asked crossing her arms.

"Well, it's dead." Thalia said truthfully. KK's face fell.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not kid—" the mother was going to reply but stopped when she noticed headlights of a car heading her way, she quickly grabbed KK's hand; pulling the child beside her. Thalia gave Emma Kate to her sister.

The mother quickly grabbed hold onto her gun, ready to draw it if these people were trouble. The car stopped and two men, one with a sheriff's outfit and the other with police clothing, stepped forward.

"Whoa. Whoa. We don't mean any trouble." The man in the police clothing said.

"That's what the all say." KK snapped. Thalia looked down at her, nudging her to behave. The two men looked at the little girl, then at each other.

"Feisty one." The man in the sheriff outfit said. Thalia scoffed.

"You don't know the half of it."

"Ma'am, my name is Shane," the man in the police clothing said, pointing to himself. "And this is Rick. We have camp set up, just up the road."

"And?" Thalia asked with her hand still tight on her gun, ready to draw on them.

"Our watchmen saw that you had car trouble and thought you could use some help." Rick told her, hands on his hips.

"We're on our way to safety. Atlanta." Thalia told them. The two men looked at each. Rick shook his head.

"Ma'am, you do NOT want to go to Atlanta. It's been overrun."

"What?" KK asked. A deaf man could hear the hurt and sorrow in her voice. The adults all felt a rip in their hearts to see how disappointed the eleven year old girl was.

"Sorry to be the ones to tell y'all. Look, we want you all to come to our camp. We have food, water, and other children for the kids to play with." Shane told Thalia. The mother didn't know wether to believe the men or not, she looked down at her girls and she knew they needed shelter and not to be out and about around this time.

"Okay," she said with a nod. "Take us to your camp."

Shane and Rick grinned at the lady as she quickly grabbed her children things and Emma Kate's car seat. She had a tough time trying to get it buckled.

"Here, allow me." Rick said softly as he buckle the small child into her seat. Thalia mumbled at soft, "thank you" as she allowed KK to sit on her lap.

"So, how old are your kids?" Shane asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." KK mumbled under her breath, only her mother could hear her. She quickly pinched the child. "ow."

"Behave," Thalia said sternly in her daughter's ear. "Um, 11 and 4." She could see the two men nod.

"We have children raging from the age 8-12." Shane told her.

Thalia nodded before whispering in her oldest child's ear , "Some kids for you to play with KK."

~•~

The ride to camp was a lot quicker than expected. Thalia got out and smiled at the campsite in front of her. 'these people really got it figured out, huh?' The mother thought.

"There's not anymore tents, but we do have tents available." Shane realized how stupid he sounded.

"Like, that tent over there," he pointed, "the guy who stays in that one is on a hunting trip. We'll figure out everything else tomorrow."

Thalia nodded and led her kids into the tent, which was oddly kept up well for a man to be leaving here.

"The guy must never be in here..." KK said as she looked around. "It looks brand new."

"Yeah, it does." Thalia said as she laid down, something she hasn't done in a long time. "Come on, girls, cuddle up to mama."

Emma Kate was the first one to go to sleep in her mother's arms.

"Mama?"

"Yes, KK?"

"Do you think we'll ever get the chance to meet our daddy?" KK asked as she turned around to face her mother. "I mean, all we got is a photo of you two hugging. We can barely see his face."

Thalia sadden at the thought of their father, wondering if he was still alive. "I don't know, baby. The way this world is going now, it's not like I can call him and set up a meeting."

"I wish you had before." KK said sadly before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. Thalia played with KK's soft, curly hair before drifting off to sleep herself.

~•~

Thalia woke up in the tent alone. The woman with brown skin patted the empty spaced tiredly, but then her brain caught up with her and she realized her kids were missing. Thalia jolted up.

"Emma Kate? KK?" Thalia said as she looked around the tent. She quickly put on some jeans and ran out of the tent. She was frantically looking around.

"Don't worry. They're playing with the other kids. We fed them and everything." A woman with olive skin and long brown hair said. "I'm Lori. Rick's wife."

"I'm Thalia. Your husband and his friend was kind enough to let us stay with y'all."

"Yeah, they didn't want you or your kids out in the dark like that. It's dangerous nowadays." Lori said carrying the dirty pots to the "wash area."

"You're telling me." Thalia mumbled. Lori smirked.

"Your kids are precious. One of 'em doesn't talk?"

"Emma Kate? No, she doesn't. Not since this shit went down." Thalia told her. Lori nodded and handed her a plate with food in it. Thalia shook her head. "I'm fine. As long as my girls are being fed."

"It's okay! We made this for you." Lori told Thalia with pleading eyes. Thalia took the food and sighed, starting to eat.

"Mom! You're awake!" KK said excitedly, running towards her and holding onto Emma Kate's hand.

"My babies!" Thalia said as she ran to them hugging them tightly. "You girls being nice?" They nodded.

"I always play nice." KK commented playfully to her mother. Thalia took note of KK's cheeky grin before shaking her head at the child.

"Like I said, be nice." Thalia told her children, mainly talking to the older mischievous one. "Okay, go play some more."

"Let me introduce you to the group." Lori said walking pass Thalia.

"This is Glenn and Amy," she said pointing at a blonde girl and Asian boy. "Amy's sister, Andrea. Carol and Jacque. They usually help with laundry." Thalia took in the appearances and gave them a small wave.

"That man over there is Jim. That's T-Dog. Morales and his family. You know Shane and Rick. The man on the RV is Dale, he's the one who spotted you last night. That's everyone."

"Who's the man with the cigarette, watching the women work?" Thalia nodded over to the slightly heavy set man, his whole body language screamed trouble. She knew men like him, they disgust her.

"Oh, that's Ed, Carol's husband."

"Hm. Remind me to keep my girls from him." Thalia said crossing her arms.

"Noted." Lori said with a smirk.

Suddenly, they heard screams of children howling with the wind.

Thalia quickly took off in that direction. The spotted the kids running towards her.

"Get behind me." Thalia whispered as she walked over into the direction the kids once stood. It was a walker, gnawing on some deer meat.

"Hey, pretty boy." Thalia said as she whistled towards it, getting it's attention. She pulled out a knife and threw it horizontally, decapitating it's head. Moments later the men come around with their weapons, only to see that everything was already taken care of.

"Damn." T-Dog said once he noticed that his work was already finished by the woman with one small knife.

"You got skills, I'll tell ya that." Shane said with a playfully scoff and smirk.

"You can say that again." Rick said playfully. "Why the hell are these walkers in the woods?"

"Running out of food in the city, they starting to branch out." Jim said.

Thalia walked over to the deer and grabbed her knife, that got stuck on the deer after she threw it. That was when she noticed the arrows with the initials "D.D" on them.

"No fucking way." Thalia said under her breath.

There was some rustling in the bushes to her left. Thalia grabbed her knife quickly, slowly backing up, getting ready for what was coming next. She heard Shane grunt, then she noticed light brown hair popping out of the woods.

"Oh, Jesus." Dale mumbled to himself.

"Son of a bitch. That's my deer!" The familiar accent said. It was really Daryl Dixon. "Look at it. All gnawed on by this… filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!" Daryl said angrily as he kicked the carcass of the walker.

"Calm down, son. That's not helping." Dale said in attempt to calm Daryl. Thalia wanted to tell the older man to not to waste his breath, there was no calming Daryl down.

"What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to "on golden pond"?" Daryl said. Thalia could hear KK giggle as quietly as she could. Daryl looked over at the little girl and smirked. He walked over to the deer again. "I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

"I would not risk that." Shane said with his gun behind his head.

Thalia frowned at the thought of eating walker leftover food. Daryl sighed.

"That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel… about a dozen or so. That'll have to do." Daryl said as he walked pass a few people, not even noticing Thalia. Suddenly, the head of the walker started to move its teeth.

"Oh god." Amy groaned on the verge of gagging.

"Come on, people. What the hell?" Daryl said as he aimed his crossbow towards the head. Thalia lifted her knife and threw it to the head of the walker before Daryl could shoot it.

"It's gotta be the brain. My fault, heat of the moment." Thalia said as she placed her hand on her hips.

Daryl immediately recognized that voice and turned around to make sure he wasn't going crazy.

"Thally?" Daryl asked. She nodded. Daryl wanted to so badly wrap her into his arms, but knowing their history, he felt it wouldn't be appropriate.

"Mama, Emma Kate wants to color." KK said as she walked pass the man her mother called Daryl. Thalia nodded at the girls before they walked off.

"Mama? You a mama now?" Daryl asked. Thalia stood there, crossing her arms.

"Have been for the past twelve years," she informed him. Daryl nodded and grunted as he walked off. The group stood there awkwardly.

"We missing something here?" Shane asked her. Thalia shook her head and walked off in the same direction Daryl went.

~•~•~•~•~•~ [A/N]

~If Daryl Dixon falls in love with you, he will love you for the rest of his life. – Norman Reedus~

Daryl unofficially met his girls! Thalia is still in love with him, hopefully. We all know that he stills love her, never stopped loving her.

Leave a comment! It gives me confident and I love to hear feedback.

Thank you to the people who support this story already! It means so much to me!

This has been edited to the best of my abilities.

Also, if you want to imagine the characters in your own way...by all means...do it!


	3. Chapter T H R E E

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now.)

~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Three — Camp Melodrama

The group quickly walked back to the survival camp.

"Merle!" Daryl shouted as he walked towards his tent. Thalia rolled her eyes, she felt that if Merle was here she'd have to leave the camp. That's because she strongly disliked Merle for several obvious reasons. "Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up."

"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." Shane said before Daryl could reach his tent.

"About what?"

"About Merle. There was a… There was a problem in Atlanta." Shane told him. Thalia looked at Shane then at Daryl.

Daryl nodded before responding, "He dead?"

"We're not sure."

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl shouted. Thalia noticed her two girls coming out of the tent, watching the scene in front of them.

"No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick said, stepping forward.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Rick Grimes."

"Rick Grimes," Daryl said mockingly, "you got something you want to tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."

Thalia's eyes widen as she looked around to the group. She might strongly dislike Merle, but no one deserves to go out like that.

"Hold on." Daryl said with a pause. "Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!"

"Yeah." Rick said simply. Daryl went to attack him, but Rick shoved him off.

"Hey! Watch the knife!" T-Dog shouted to Rick. Daryl pulled his knife out, but Shane was able to come up behind him and put him in a chokehold. Thalia's hand went to her gun. If they were going to hurt Daryl, they would feel her wrath.

"Okay. Okay." Shane said into Daryl's ear.

"You'd best let me go!" The southern man said as he struggled against the ex-cop.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't."

"Choke hold's illegal." Daryl mumbled.

"You can file a complaint." Shane said sarcastically. "Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day."

"You better ease up on him, Shane. I'm not kidding." Thalia commented, hand still propped on her gun. "He can't fucking talk because he can't breathe! Ease up! Now."

Shane glanced at Rick. Rick looked between Shane and Thalia. Knowing that she was right, Rick nodded at his friend to ease up on Daryl. Shane reluctantly agreed and loosened his grip on the hunter.

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?" Rick asked. Daryl stayed quiet, giving the new guy a glare. "Do you think we can manage that?"

"Hmm?" Shane asked, trying to get a response from the rugged hunter.

"Mmm. Yeah." Daryl agreed after thinking about it. Shane let him go.

"What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others."

"It's not Rick's fault. I had the key. I dropped it." T-Dog said from where he stood.

"You couldn't pick it up?" Thalia asked with her hands on her hips, and eyebrow raised. Daryl grunted, wanting to know the answer to that question.

"Well, I dropped it in a drain." The African American man said bluntly.

"If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't." Daryl said getting annoyed with the situation, he stood up from his position on the ground.

"Well, maybe this will. Look, I chained the door to the roof… So the geeks couldn't get at him… With a padlock. It's gotta count for something." Thalia shook her head slightly. Daryl was about to run off to his tent, not wanting anyone to see the tears that threaten to fall from his eyes.

"Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he is so that I can go get him." Daryl shouted to the group.

"He'll show you." Lori said, nodding her at Rick. "Isn't that right?"

Rick nodded, avoiding his wife's gaze. "I'm going back." The olive skinned woman scoffed before walking into the RV.

Daryl walked back to his tent, when he opened it he saw Thalia's kids in it. The oldest one was sharpening some sticks while the other one was coloring.

"What are y'all doing in here?" Daryl asked, he didn't mean to sound as harsh as he did. KK rolled her eyes.

"What does it look like?" The child spat at him. Daryl was slightly shocked at the sudden attitude.

Thalia cleared her throat from behind the southern man. He turned to look at her.

"Shane told us we could use this tent since you were out on a hunt." Thalia said before handing the dead squirrels to Daryl. "You forgot about these dead little critters when you threw them at Rick."

Daryl took them, he looked down to his feet then back at Thalia.

"We can move out of your tent if you want us to." Thalia told Daryl.

"Mom, that's bullshit! Where are we going to go?"

"You watch your mouth! Don't talk to your mama like that," Daryl instinctually said, he didn't know where that fatherly sternness came from. KK never had someone, a man, talk to her like the before.

Instead of a smart comment, she shut her mouth and continued to sharpen some more sticks.

Thalia raised her eyebrow, she never seen KK react to someone with the respect she instantly had for Daryl. Thalia knew why there was a spark of "Father & Daughter" moment between them.

"Y'all can stay in here. I'm never in this damn tent anyways," Daryl mumbled before walking off. Thalia looked at KK.

"I'm going with them to look for his brother."

"You know that man or somethin'?" KK said as she looked up from her sticks to her mom. Thalia eyes were locked on her daughter's big browns and nodded. "I like him."

"You do?"

"Yeah, there's just something about him." KK told her mom honestly.

"Dixon has the effect on people."

"Dixon?" KK asked, almost mentally making a connection to herself. "My last name is Dixon."

Thalia mentally slapped herself in the face. It was this moment she knew...she fucked up.

"Uh..." Thalia said. "Look after your sister for me." The mother wanted to badly change the subject. KK sensed that, so instead of pushing the subject...she let it go.

"Yeah, whatever."

~•~

Rick was putting on his sheriff outfit as Shane walked towards him.

"So that's it, huh? You're just gonna walk off? Just to hell with everybody else?" Shane barked in his ear, a little peeved off.

"I'm not saying to hell with anybody… Not you Shane…"

"Lori least of all. Tell her that." Shane said with a scoff.

"She knows." Rick said with a small shrug.

"Well, look, I… I don't, okay, Rick? So could you just… Could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane said loudly.

"Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl warned the ex-cop.

"No, I did." Shane said matter of fact. "Douche bag's what I meant. Merle Dixon…The guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

"What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I can't let a man die of thirst… me. Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being." Thalia smiled at Rick's words. He was really a good man.

"So you and Daryl, that's your big plan?" Lori said bitterly, folding her arms. Rick then turned to Glenn.

"Oh, come on." Glenn groaned.

"You know the way. You've been there before… In and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask… I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too."

"That's just great. Now you're gonna risk three men, huh?" Shane said with a scoff.

"Four." T-Dog said as he stepped forward. Daryl huffed.

"My day just gets better and better, don't it?" Daryl said with a grunt. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"You're starting to sound like Merle." Thalia said with her arms crossed as she inched forward towards the group of men.

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-Dog asked Daryl.

"I'm going." Thalia told the men. Their heads snapped towards her direction. Daryl was the first to speak.

"The hell you are!" Daryl snapped at the woman who stood beside him. Thalia glared at the redneck.

"You don't get to suggest what I can and cannot do! You lost that privilege years ago!" Thalia hissed at him. Everyone was starting to catch on, Thalia and Daryl use to be together.

"He's got a point, Thalia." Rick started to say. "You got two little girls who need you here."

"Do not pull the stereotypical "you're a mom, you should stay with your kids" bullshit on me! My daughter, KK, knows how to protect herself and her sister without me. The child has killed more walkers than I have and that's saying a lot." Thalia said as she snapped on all the men in the group. "I'm going to help find Merle and there's not a damn thing either one of you men could do about it."

They were speechless. Although Daryl wasn't happy about her decision, he smirked at the attitude she was giving them. It was one of things he loved about her.

"That's five." Dale said, keeping count of the people they were leaving for Atlanta.

The group continued to discuss why shouldn't and why should Rick leave. As Thalia was listening, Daryl pulled her to the side.

"I really don't want you to go." Daryl told her honestly.

"Yeah," Thalia said, "well that's too damn bad. I'm going."

"You don't even like Merle. What are you trying to prove?"

"I ain't trying to prove shit!" Thalia told her ex boyfriend, who stood there with his crossbow on his shoulder. "We're going to Atlanta. I was hoping to find some more clothes for Emma Kate and KK. They've out grown most of the clothes they have now. They getting too tall." Daryl nodded as he glance down at his feet then back at her.

"Your girls...where they daddy at?"

Thalia froze. "Um, he's around."

"So, you know he ain't dead?"

"Oh yeah." Thalia said as she shifted on her feet uncomfortably. Daryl noticed that, he assumed she was hiding something but left it alone. He'll ask her later, right now he's concerned about finding his brother.

~•~

Daryl beeped on the horn of the moving van.

"Come on, let's go! I ain't got all day."

Thalia rolled her eyes but then looked her girls, who stood in front of her. She knelt down to their level.

"KK, play nice while I'm gone. You hear me?" Thalia said with a smirk.

"I always play nice." KK said with a hint of sarcasm, referring to their conversation earlier. She gave her mom a smile small. It was moments like this that KK reminded Thalia of her father, Daryl.

Thalia looked at Emma Kate, she gave the small child a hug. "You be good for sissy. Okay, bug?" Emma Kate nodded. Thalia smiled and looked at KK once again, not noticing Emma Kate running over to Daryl.

"Watch after her, I mean it. And if Mrs. Grimes tell you to do something you do it. Got it?" Thalia told her oldest daughter again. KK rolled her eyes.

"I know, mom." Thalia nodded and looked over KK's shoulder to see Emma Kate handing Daryl a piece of paper with coloring on it. Thalia walked over there with KK following behind her.

"Emma Kate," Thalia said as she picked up the little girl who was smiling at Daryl. Daryl gave the little girl a smile and a nod. "stop sneaking off like that. Go with your sister, go."

KK grabbed her sister's hand and ran off. Thalia sighed watching them leave, she turned to Daryl.

"I'm sorry if she bothered you."

"No, she was okay." Daryl said as he pulled out the paper the small child handed to him. "She, uh, drew me on a paper. When she gave it to me...her face went red and she smiled."

Thalia chuckled and shuffled her feet, kicking the dirt on the ground. "Well, I'll be damned. She likes you."

Daryl chuckled, "she's a good kid. Probably gets that from you. KK, she has a temper but she's a good kid too."

"She gets her temper from her daddy." Thalia told him, her eyes avoiding his gaze.

"The smallest one...she deaf?" Daryl asked, he must of have caught a glimpse of Emma Kate's hearing aid when she handed him the picture.

"Yeah, she's deaf. The hearing aid helps a lot though. But without it...it's a different story." Thalia told him. "That's not the reason why she doesn't talk though. She use to speak all the time. But, since the outbreak..."

Daryl nodded at the story his ex-girlfriend told, letting her know he understood.

Thalia was about to get on the van when Daryl offered a hand to help her, she took it.

As she got up, she tripped over her own feet, falling into Daryl's arms.

"We always end up like this." Thalia whispered as she stood up straight, balancing herself.

"Yeah." Daryl scoffed softly, looking into her brown eyes. Thalia stared into his hardened blue gaze. That was the moment all the feelings that she wanted to so badly to forget flooded into her heart again.

The small moment they shared was short lived when T-Dog hopped in the back, closing the van. Thalia looked down to her feet and walked over to the corner to sit down.

"Thanks for that, T-Dog." Daryl said under his breath.

Thalia started to count her throwing knives.

~•~

The truck arrived outside the city limits.

"He'd better be okay." Daryl warned T-Dog.

"It's my only word on the matter. I told you the geeks can't get at him. The only thing that's gonna get through that door is us."

Glenn stopped the truck.

"We walk from here." The Asian man told the group. The men made their way out of the van. Thalia was about to jump but then Daryl grabbed her by the waist and helped her down.

"Needed an excuse to touch me, huh?" Thalia teased before waking off along the railroad tracks.

The group cut through a fence the lead to the back ways of the city.

"Merle first or guns?" Rick asked everyone, mostly Glenn.

"Merle! We ain't even having this conversation." Daryl shouted over his shoulder.

"We never have a conversation when it comes to Merle." Thalia mumbled bitterly. Daryl glanced at her but decided to not say anything.

"We are. You know the geography. It's your call." Rick told Glenn.

"Merle's closest. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first." Glenn said as he started to lead the way.

They made their way to the department store Glenn and the others were in earlier. Thalia looked over to see children's clothing, she grabbed what she needed quickly. She then noticed a walker stumbling towards her.

"Damn. You are one ugly skank." Daryl said, gaining the attention to him. Daryl took his crossbow and shot it through the head. He pulled the arrow out. He looked at Thalia.

"You got everything?" Thalia nodded. "Alright. Come on."

The group reached the roof. They cut through the padlock and entered the roof.

"Merle! Merle!" Daryl yelled out. He ran over to the spot where Merle was left but he started to sob, seeing something horrible.

"No! No!" Daryl sobbed. The rest of the group caught up with Daryl.

Thalia gasped at the scene in front of her. Merle's hand and a bloody saw.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~ (A/N)

Chapter three is out! Whoop! Whoop!

I went back and edited a few things! Thank you for reading! Leave some feedback, I'd love to hear what you think!


	4. Chapter F O U R

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now.)

~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Four — Don't Know Why

~Survival Camp~

KK sat in the tent, tapping her small fingers against the cot. She watched Emma Kate color more pictures of things, like a sunny sky with people swimming in cool water under it.

"I wish." KK said as she thought about some type of leisure, but that's impossible considering the hell hole of a world she lives in now.

"You like coloring, huh?" KK asked her younger sister.

The child nodded as she grabbed her yellow crayon to make her portrait of the sun brighter.

Suddenly, the boy from earlier, Carl, slowly unzipped the tent that the two girls stayed in.

"There's thing called privacy," the older girl said with a soft scoff when she noticed it was Carl.

"I, um, I was wondering if you wanted to come play." Carl said shyly, avoiding the girl's big brown eyes.

KK looked from Carl to Emma Kate.

"Emma, keep this tent zipped, okay? I'll come get you later." KK told her little sister. The small child nodded as she continued coloring. KK sighed as she followed Carl out.

"She really doesn't talk, huh?" Carl asked the girl beside him as they walked to the spot Sophia told them to meet.

"Not really." KK mumbled. Carl looked at the girl, he wondered why she was always to herself and angry. He wanted to understand what made her come off as a cold little girl. He wanted to know what she looked like when she smiled, or how she sounded when she laughs.

"Don't worry, she will one day." Carl said told her with pure optimism. KK grunted.

"Yeah, and people in hell want slurpees. Moral of the story...you don't always get what you want." KK told the boy before she looked at him. His icy blues meeting her dark browns. They were both shy and awkward around each other and they didn't understand why. Carl knew for a fact that he was intrigued by her. She was different than the other children. She didn't fear the walkers like everyone else did. She was truly amazing in his eyes. He wanted to be more like her, in more ways than one.

"So, how old are you?"

"I'm eleven, be twelve this fall. You?" KK told him, her hands stuffing her back pocket.

"Same. I'm eleven, I'll be twelve soon."

"Cool." KK said with a nod.

~Rooftop in Atlanta~

In Atlanta, T-Dog, Daryl, Thalia, Glenn and Rick all stared at Merle's severed hand. Daryl turned his crossbow on T-Dog to kill him, but Rick pulls out his Python.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it." Rick told Daryl firmly, but then he heard Thalia's pistol click. The sheriff looked over his shoulder to see the woman aiming the gun at his head.

"I won't either, Rick." Thalia told him referring to her hesitation on killing him if he killed Daryl. Daryl realized Rick was being honest and lowered the crossbow. Thalia and Rick slowly lowered their guns.

"You got a do-rag or something?" Daryl asked T-Dog. T-Dog handed him one and Daryl picked up Merle's severed hand that is already decaying.

"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs. Ain't that a bitch." Daryl muttered to mostly himself. He put the hand in Glenn's backpack.

Thalia noticed the young man's discomfort.

"You should have asked the boy if he wanted your brother's bloody hand in his backpack." Thalia said to Daryl before she rolled her eyes. Daryl gave her a look, but didn't say anything.

"He must have used a tourniquet… maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't."

Daryl noticed a blood trail. The group started to follow it. T-Dog picked up the tools on the roof.

"Merle? You in here?" Daryl asked out. The group walked down the stairs.

Daryl shot a walker in an office with his crossbow. Thalia threw her knife in between the eyes of a walker who was stumbling towards Daryl. The southern man turned to the woman.

"Thanks." He said. Thalia smirked.

"Don't mention it." The group walked in and made sure the coast was clear.

"Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches. One handed." Daryl said, almost proudly. "Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails."

"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is." Rick reminding Daryl. Thalia grunted in agreement.

The group continued to search for Merle.

"Merle!" Daryl shouted for Merle. Thalia gave him a look of annoyance.

"We're not alone here. Remember?" Rick spat at the redneck bitterly.

"Screw that. He could be bleeding out. You said so yourself." Daryl retorted.

"Yeah, and we'll be bleeding out next as the walkers eat us alive if you don't shut the hell up." Thalia said to Daryl.

"You shut the hell up." Daryl said. Thalia was about to say something else but Glenn stopped her.

"How about we all shut the hell up?" Glenn announced to the group.

They come upon a kitchen where a stove is still lighted. They find Merle's belt sitting on the top of it.

"What's that burned stuff?" Daryl asked examining it.

"Skin." Thalia said as she lifted a heavy burner object. "He cauterized the stump."

"Guess that nursing degree paid off." Daryl said giving the woman a small smirk. He then turned to Rick and the others. "Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."

"Don't take that on faith. He's lost a lot of blood." Rick told him.

"Rick's right." Thalia agreed.

"Yeah? Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap." Daryl said nodded over to the broken window.

"He left the building? Why the hell would he do that?" Glenn asked.

"Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's got to do. Surviving."

"You call that surviving? Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?" T-Dog asked with a slight shake of his head.

"No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks. You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard." Daryl said angrily, getting irritated with the men.

"What about 1,000 dead dumb bastards? Different story?" Rick retorted.

"Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him." Daryl said, starting to leave.

Rick didn't want to let him go.

"Daryl, wait."

"Get your hands off me! You can't stop me."

"We don't blame you, you know. He's family, we get that." Thalia told him as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel. He can't get far with that injury. We could help you check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head." Rick said agreeing with Thalia.

"I could do that." Daryl said, calming down.

"Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?" T-Dog told them.

"Damn right." Thalia said with a nod.

~•~

"You're not doing this alone." Rick told Glenn. Thalia nodded in agreement.

"Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much." Daryl said with a grunt.

"It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out. If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast."

"Kid got a point." Thalia said as she leaned on Glenn's shoulder. Glenn drew a map of the street on the ground and marked the tank and the bag of guns.

"Look. That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now. That's the bag of guns. Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl and I will go." Glenn said to them.

"Why me?" Daryl asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Your crossbow is quieter than his gun. While Daryl waits here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag."

"You got us elsewhere?" Rick asked. Glenn pointed down the street.

"You and T-Dog, right. You'll be in this alley here."

"Two blocks away? Why?" Rick asked with his eyebrows knitting together.

"I may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl. I'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here." Glenn told them all. Thalia was hit with confusion.

"Wait. What about me?" Thalia asked as she crossed her arms. Glenn looked at her.

"You're not coming."

"Excuse me?" Thalia asked appalled. "My knives are quiet. I could be with you and Daryl."

Glenn looked from her to Daryl then back to her again. "Look, not to be rude but if something happens and you're in trouble, I don't need Daryl saving you when he should be covering my ass."

Thalia scoffed, but she saw his point. "Okay. Whatever."

"Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?" Daryl asked out of curiosity.

"Delivered pizzas. Why?" Glenn asked with a raised eyebrow. Everyone chuckled.

The group started to leave and get in position. Thalia grabbed Daryl's arm and quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful. Okay?"

Daryl started at the woman for a moment, his eyes lingering on hers. "I always am." He said before leaving.

~•~

Thalia waited for what felt like hours, but it was only minutes. Suddenly, all the men minus Glenn and add a new one came stumbling in.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Thalia asked when she noticed the Spanish boy. "Where's Glenn?"

The men ignored her. Rick grabbed a seat for the boy to sit while T-Dog tied him up.

"Those men you were with, we need to know where they went." Rick told the boy firmly.

"I ain't telling you nothing." The boy refused.

Thalia walked over to Daryl, she gently grabbed his chin in her hands and started to examine him. She winced when she saw the bruises.

"I thought I told you to be careful. What the hell happened back there?" Thalia asked.

Daryl motioned towards the boy angrily. "This little turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me."

"You're the one who jumped me, puto, screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault." The boy spat bitterly.

"They took Glenn. Could have taken Merle too."

The boy, also known as Miguel, chuckled. "Merle? What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog merle." Daryl went to kick at Miguel, but Rick held him back.

"Damn it, Daryl. Back off."

Thalia stayed beside Glenn's backpack. Daryl went over to the bag and pulled Merle's hand out.

"Want to see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" Daryl said before he threw the hand at the boy. Miguel was freaked out by the hand and started to back away.

"Start with the feet this time." Daryl said as he leaned towards the boy. Rick held Daryl back.

"Daryl, calm down." Thalia warned him.

"The men you were with took our friend. All we want to do is talk to them, see if we can work something out." Rick told Miguel. The boy reluctantly agreed. The men gathered their things and began to leave. Thalia stopped them.

"I'm coming with you."

Daryl sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Thalia—"

"I'm not a child, stop treating me like one."

"Yeah, but you got kids."

Thalia crossed her arms. "And what the hell does that have to so with anything?" Thalia scoffed when he didn't reply. "I'm talking to you Daryl."

"I promised."

Thalia scoffed. "Typical. You are always making excuses—"

"Thalia, I PROMISED THAT LITTLE GIRL THAT I WOULD BRING YOU BACK SAFE!" Daryl shouted. His toned soften when she noticed the look on Thalia's face. "I promised to keep you safe. And I can't do that if you're in danger."

Thalia was quiet. She turned from the men, silently asking them to leave. Daryl reached over to touch her shoulder but Rick stopped him from doing so, motioning to the door for them to leave.

~AT CAMP~

KK sat at the table with Carl, Sophia and Lori while the men tied Jim to a tree.

"You really think this is the right thing to do?" KK whispered to Carl. Carl turned to the little girl and nodded.

"He was being creepy."

KK shrugged. "If he wants to dig until he catches a heatstroke then that's him. How is it our business?"

"I don't know." Carl said, slightly defeated.

~Building In Atlanta~

It didn't take too long for the group to stumble back in, but instead of having Glenn with them...they came back with Miguel.

"Where's Glenn?" Thalia asked with her arms crossed. "You left him?! This is not some trade off. I rather have Glenn."

"Someone shut this bitch up." Miguel mumbled. Daryl heard him, what the kid said made him feel angry. Daryl grabbed his shirt.

"Watch your mouth. I ain't gonna ask again." Daryl warned him. "Remember, I'll start with the feet next time."

"So, what happened?" Thalia asked Rick. The sheriff sighed.

"The want a trade. Miguel and the guns for Glenn."

Thalia gave him a look of confusion. "How is that fair?"

"Something about pain and suffering." T-Dog said shrugging his shoulder.

"I'll show that bastard pain and suffering." Thalia mumbled. Daryl smirked at her softly.

~•~

Rick unzipped the bag of guns and started to divide them.

"Them guns are worth more than gold. Gold won't protect your family or put food on the table. You're gonna give that up for that kid?" Daryl asked.

"Glenn is worth gold. This group needs him," Thalia tried to explain. "He's good at making runs without causing a diversion, we need that."

"If I knew we'd get Glenn back, I might agree. But you think that Vato across the way is just gonna hand him over?" T-Dog said, agreeing with Daryl instead of Rick and Thalia.

"You calling G a liar?" Miguel asked, speaking up.

"Are you a part of this? You want to hold onto your teeth?" Daryl asked before slapping him.

"Question is, do you trust that man's word?" T-Dog asked.

"No, question is what are you willing to bet on it? Could be more than them guns. Could be your life. Glenn worth that to you?" Daryl asked Rick.

"What life I have I owe to him. I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank. He could have walked away, but he didn't. Neither will I." Rick explained.

"So you're gonna hand the guns over?"

"I didn't say that. There's nothing keeping you three here. You should get out, head back to camp."

"And tell your family what?" T-Dog asked. Thalia shook her head.

"Weren't not going anywhere, Rick." Thalia told him.

"Come on, this is nuts. Just do like G says." Miguel told them. Thalia let out a frustrated sigh.

"G? Who the hell is G?" The men smirked as they made their way out with Thalia following close behind.

~•~

The group led Miguel back with his hands tied behind his back. Before the doors opened, Thalia was pulled to the side by Daryl.

"I, uh, I talked to Rick. He wants you to stay out here as back up, in case something happens you run off." Daryl inform her. Thalia raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms, her facial impression letting Daryl know how she feels about the situation.

"What if nothing happens in there?"

Daryl shrugged. "Better safe than sorry."

Thalia grabbed Daryl's arm before he could walk off. "Next time, don't you dare promise our little girl anything about keeping me safe. I can take care of myself Dixon."

Daryl gave her a look of confusion. "Our little girl?"

Thalia froze.

Shit.

"What? I said my little girl." Thalia told him as she shifted uncomfortably. Daryl was about to say something but Rick called him over to go inside. The redneck gave her a look that told her that the conversation wasn't over.

Shit.

~•~

Thalia waited patiently, her gun off the safety in case something happens. Suddenly, the doors opened with the group coming out with Glenn and some of the guns.

"Oh, thank God." Thalia mumbled as she pulled Glenn into a hug, trying her best to avoid Daryl.

"We need to head on back, it'll be dark soon." Rick told the group before walking off. Thalia keep up with Rick, not wanting to linger back with Daryl.

~AT CAMP~

It was getting darker outside, Shane was getting the fire started for dinner. KK wonder off to her tent to find her sister laying down with her bear in her arms.

"You tired?" KK asked. The little girl shook her head. KK nodded. "Do you want to come out here and join the fire?"

The little girl shook her head. KK sighed, "I'll bring food in here in just a minute. Okay?"

~Atlanta~

"Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat." Glenn said with a grin.

"Don't tell anybody." Rick said, playing along to the joke. Although he was a little serious, he really liked that hat.

"You've given away half our guns and ammo." Daryl mumbled.

"Not nearly half."

"For what? Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow?" Daryl said.

"Daryl." Thalia said looking at him incredulously. Daryl didn't hear her.

"Seriously, how long you think they got?"

"How long do any of us?" Rick retorted. They arrived at the spot where their truck was parked, but it is gone.

"Oh my God." Glenn whispered. He was shock.

"Where the hell's our van?" Daryl asked.

"We left it right there. Who would take it?" Glenn asked the group.

"Some people are comfortable enough to drive one handed. I usually do." Thalia told them, hinting at who she thought took it.

"Merle." Rick said bluntly.

Daryl looked down at his feet then back at the group. "He's gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp."

"Shit." Thalia said. Thinking about her girls, she took off. The men following close behind her.

~AT CAMP~

KK brought a small portion of fish and beans to her sister. "Here ya go, bug. Eat up. I'll come back to get your plate soon."

The little girl nodded as she grabbed the plate and started picking at it.

~Atlanta~

Daryl was catching up to Thalia.

"Thalia, I have a question." Daryl said as he ran beside her.

"Can it wait?" She asked. Daryl shook his head.

"No, it can't." Daryl grabbed her arm to stop her. Rick and the others were confused but Daryl told them to keep going. Thalia desperately wanted to not discuss what she knew he was going to ask.

"They mine, ain't they? Both of 'em." Daryl asked. Thalia avoided his gaze.

"Daryl–"

"Tell me the truth!"

Thalia shifted on her feet uncomfortably. "Yes," she whispered, "they're yours. Both of them." Daryl stared at the woman, shaking his head. How could she hide this from him? Daryl couldn't look at her, he didn't want to cry in front of her. He had two beautiful daughters that he knew nothing about! He was filled with joy and sadness, he missed the important parts of their lives. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you. I wanted to tell you—"

"Then why didn't you?!" Daryl shouted, not caring about attracting walkers.

"I was scared." Thalia tried to explain. Daryl scoffed. "Merle was a big part of your life, I wasn't going to let the girls intrude like I did. I didn't want you to break their hearts like you broke mine."

Daryl looked in her eyes. She was right. But he would have worked out something where he could be with her, the kids, and Merle.

Merle.

Daryl realized that Merle was probably going to try to kill everybody for leaving him in that roof. Daryl grabbed Thalia's hand to run faster. They had to get there soon before Merle could even lay a finger on his girls.

His girls.

Then, they heard a distant scream coming from the camps direction. The group started to run faster.

~CAMP~

Hell broke loose! There were walkers everywhere. KK got her pocket knife as a walker stumbled closer to her.

"Gross bastard!" The girl shouted as she stabbed the walker in the side of the brain. It fell limb against her feet.

"KK, watch out!" Carl shouted. KK turned to see a walker close to her, before she could react, an arrow went through it's skull; killing it instantly. KK looked over to see Daryl standing there.

Thalia then quickly ran over to her daughter, "Baby!" Thalia said as she held her daughter close. Thalia noticed a walker coming towards her, she quickly pulled out her gun and shot it between the eyes. It was the last walker as well.

"I remember my dream now. Why I dug those holes." Jim said as he looked at the massacre around him. Thalia then noticed something.

Emma Kate.

"Emma Kate?!" Thalia shouted. She looked over at their tent but there was no child there. "Emma Kate?!"

Daryl quickly ran over to Thalia. Thalia turned to KK.

"I told you to watch her!" Thalia yelled. KK was close to tears.

"I'm sorry mom! I didn't think—"

"You're right. You didn't think!" Thalia yelled. Daryl came between the two.

"She made a mistake, don't blame her."

"OUR BABY IS MISSING, DARYL!" Thalia screamed as she broke down in sobs. The group looked shocked as they put the information together.

Daryl was her kids father.

"Dad?" KK asked, her throat getting dry. "Daddy?" KK said as she ran over to hug the man tightly. Daryl picked up the ten year old and held her close. His little girl.

"Thalia! Thalia! I found her!" Jacqui shouted as she ran towards the small family. Thalia's eyes widen.

"Where is she?!"

"Under the RV, she won't come out."

Thalia quickly ran over to the RV and leaned over to in fact see her small child under the big vehicle.

The small child felt scared and alone.

"Oh baby. Come to mama." Thalia told Emma Kate, but she didn't move. Thalia looked at Daryl and KK sadly.

The group stood around them, terrified as to what was going on.

"Match in the gas tank. Boom! Boom!" KK sang softly in her sisters direction. Thalia looked over at the ten year old. She hasn't heard her sing in a long time. "Match in the gas tank. Boom! Boom!"

It wouldn't work, the child would not move.

"I know a girl who's name is Emma! She'll be turning five in November!" KK tried to sing, once again. The girl sighed. "Would you come out for sissy?"

The child shook her head.

"Would you come out for mommy?" Thalia asked. The child shook her head.

"Would you come out for yer daddy?" Daryl asked in his gruff, southern voice. Emma Kate looked at her mom then at Daryl, almost shock at the new information. The small child slowly inched out form under the RV, everyone noticed her bloody shirt. Before anyone could say anything, the little girl tightly wrapped her arms around Daryl, crying softly. The scene broke Thalia's heart.

"Baby, were your bit?" Thalia asked as she touched Emma's curly hair. Emma shook her head, dropping a sharp stick the ground. One of the sticks KK was sharpening earlier.

The older sister smiled softly to herself.

"You should get her cleaned up." Lori told them. "We're glad she's okay."

"Thank you." Thalia told the group as they walked away. The mother reached over to grab her daughter.

"No, I got her." Daryl said as he stood up and carried the child to their tent while she cried. "Shh. Don't worry. Daddy's gotcha."

KK slowly walked beside her mom. "Looks like Emma is daddy's little princess." KK said with a small chuckle. Thalia grinned and the girl then frowned.

"I'm sorry for yelling at ya, baby. Mommy was just scared." Thalia explained. KK nodded. She reached over to hug her mom.

"It's okay, momma. I was scared to." KK reassured her. "But we don't have to worry now that we have you and daddy."

Thalia smiled. "You're right."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~ (A/N)

You guys...I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Do you think it was wrong of Thalia to keep the girls away from Daryl?

Did she have a point behind her reason?

The Carl and KK feels are real! They will eventually have a thing for each other, hopefully...but for right now..I want them to be clueless kids.

Well, uh, catch you guys later in the next chapter! xD


	5. Chapter F I V E

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now.)

~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Five – Bad Karma

~SURVIVAL CAMP~

It was a quiet night, except for the soft cries that came from every aching heart resting at the camp.

Daryl was in the tent he shared with Thalia and his girls. He sat closely to the children, staring down at their faces. Thalia was on the other side of the tent, pulling out clothes for the girls to wear when they wake up in the morning. She looked up at Daryl.

"You gonna stare at them all night?" Thalia asked with a small smile forming on her lips. The redneck ignored her. Thalia felt bad for not telling him about the girls, but she had reasons. She didn't want to see the girls hurt. "I told you I was sorry."

Daryl but his tongue, not wanting to be disrespectful towards the mother of his kids. He felt like she was missing the point. He can admit that he follows behind Merle, sure. But if came to the point where he had children, he felt like Merle would either accept it or leave.

"But that's not good enough for you, is it?" Thalia asked, almost bitterly.

"Sorry ain't gonna take back the years I missed."

Thalia sighed before saying, "Daryl, look—"

"You don't get it, do you?!" Daryl snapped. He looked down at the girls when he noticed them move in their sleep. His face softened. "I missed everythin'...first laugh, first smile, first day of school, first steps. You should have told me, Thalia. I would have done right by you and the girls. Merle would have understand."

"No, he wouldn't have." Thalia snapped. "I don't know about you but I rather him not call our kids mutts or half breeds. You can't look me in the eye and tell me that he wouldn't say things like that."

Daryl avoided her gaze. Thalia grunted in triumph. "That's what I thought."

"I still think you should've told me. So I would have known that I even got kids."

"You're right. And for the last time I'm sorry." Thalia said as she eased over to the one cot that was left, the one Daryl was going to use. "We can share this cot. We've slept together before, ain't much of a difference now."

Daryl sighed before slowly scooting over to Thalia, laying down beside the woman, watching her slowly fall asleep. Daryl was still pissed at Thalia but he couldn't stay mad at her for long, he looked around his tent and noticed all his girls asleep.

He smiled softly to himself.

~•~

The morning was a drag. Everyone was still shaken up over the events that took place hours ago. Daryl got up early and started giving the dead people a pickaxe to the head so they wouldn't come back. Glenn and T-Dog started burning the bodies of the undead they weren't familiar with.

Thalia and the girls woke up not long after everyone else. The mother exited the tent with her youngest child on her hip and the oldest right behind her.

KK looked over her shoulders to see Carl sitting by himself, reading. His friend, Sophia, was minding her own business by playing with a stuffed animal. KK stared at the young girl, her daddy just died...why isn't she grieving? KK shook her head, reminding herself that it wasn't her business. She looked back over to Carl, just to see him already looking at her. He gave her a small smile, which she sort of returned.

"You can go over there, ya know?" Thalia told her daughter, motioning towards Carl's direction. "You like him, don't you?"

KK frowned. "Mom, that's gross." The girl said before running over to the boy with the icy blue eyes.

Thalia watcher daughter run over to the kids her age, she smiled to herself.

Thalia soon realized that Andrea was still outside hovering over her sister's dead people. Lori tried talking to her but she wouldn't move. Hell, she wouldn't even look at Lori. The woman made her way over to the spot where Thalia was standing.

"She alright?" Thalia asked. Lori shook her head. "Of course she isn't, why did I even ask? The woman just lost her sister."

"I'm really worried about her. Amy's going to come back soon, but she needs to grieve." Lori whispered beside Thalia. Lori then discovered the preschooler aged child in Thalia's arms. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I think she fell asleep again." Thalia quickly reassured her. Rick and Shane found their way over to the two women.

"She still won't move?" Rick asked.

"She won't even talk to us. She's been there all night. What do we do?"

"Can't just leave Amy like that. We need to deal with it same as the others." Shane said placing his hands on his hips. He understood she needed to grieve, but they also needed to get things over with.

Thalia noticed how loud their discussion was. She wondered if they knew Andrea could hear them.

"I'll tell her how it is." Rick said with authority. Rick tried to approach Andrea but she pulled a gun on him.

"Andrea." Rick said holding his hands up.

"I know how the safety works." Andreas told him, clicking her safety off.

"All right. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Rick said as he backed off.

~•~

"Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb." Daryl told them once they let him in on the way Andrea was acting.

"What do you suggest?" Rick asked the redneck.

"Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."

"She's not an animal, Daryl." Thalia said referring to Amy. "For God's sakes, let her be." Thalia knew what it felt like to lose a family member close to you. She lost her sister and nephew to this outbreak.

"Thalia's right. Losing a sibling is tough. I'm sure my brother is dead." Rick said, nodding his head in agreement. Lori looked sharply at Rick.

"You don't know that, Rick. I'm sure he's alive." Lori reassured her husband. "He's a fighter, just like you."

The conversation grew silent, everyone could see Emma Kate groan and stir a little in her sleep. Thalia determined her child might be a little uncomfortable on her hip, with her head barely laying on mama's shoulder.

"I'll go put her back in the tent to rest some more."

"Nah, I'll do it." Daryl quickly offered, taking his daughter in his arms. Emma Kate wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. "Daddy's gon' put you back in the tent so you can sleep, okay?" Daryl whispered in the four year old's ear, she nodded tiredly.

"Is she okay?" Lori asked.

Thalia nodded. "Yeah, she's fine. She's just tired. Taking out that walker really had an effect on her."

Lori looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry she had to do that."

"Me too."

~•~

"Wake up, Jimbo. We've got some work to do." Daryl told the skinny, tall man. Morales and Daryl dragged the body of a dead camper toward the fire.

"Thanks. Thanks." Morales said.

"What are you guys doing? This is for geeks. Our people go over there." Glenn told them.

"What's the difference? They're all infected." Daryl asked.

"Our people go in that row over there. We don't burn them! We bury them. Understand? Our people go in that row over there."

Daryl and Morales dragged the bodies toward the digging hole.

"You reap what you sow." Daryl mumbled under his breath.

"You know what? Shut up, man." Morales said to the redneck.

"Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this coming." Daryl shouted to everyone on the camp. Thalia walked over to Daryl.

"Hey, you need to calm down." Thalia told him, crossing her arms. Daryl looked in her eyes and scoffed.

"Whatever." He muttered, walking past her. Thalia was about to say something to him, but the voice of Jacqui interrupted her.

"A walker got him. A walker bit Jim!" Jacqui exclaimed, fearing that he was going to change at any moment. All the guys come around him, worried.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim reassured them.

"Show it to us. Show it to us." Daryl demanded.

"Easy, Jim." Shane said with his hands up.

"Grab him." Daryl said as he inched forward towards the bitten man. Jim took the shovel on the ground.

"Jim, put it down. Put it down."

Shane told him. T-Dog caught Jim behind and held him, causing him to drop his shovel.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim tried telling everyone.

Daryl lifted Jim's shirt, revealing a deep wound. "I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay."

~•~

Thalia stood there with Jim, hand on her gun if he wanted to try something stupid. The woman suddenly felt warm arms wrap around her legs, she looked down. It was Emma Kate.

"Look who's awake." Thalia said with a grin, picking up the four year old child. Emma Kate stared at Jim, she knew that something was wrong. She pushed down from her mom and ran over to Jim, giving him a hug. Jim tensed at first, but he softened up into the hug from the small child.

"Okay, that's enough." Thalia said as she picked up Emma Kate away from Jim.

"They're gonna kill me, ain't it?" Jim asked Thalia. The woman shrugged.

"I don't know what they plan to do. I'm sorry, Jim." Thalia said sympathetically.

"You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!" Thalia heard Daryl yell as he came towards Jim with his pickaxe. Thalia quickly backed away, covering Emma's eyes. KK could see what was going on, she ran over to her mom.

"Mom!" KK said as she ran over.

"It's okay, baby." Thalia told her daughter, grabbing her shoulder pulling her closer to her hip.

"Hey hey hey!" Shane yelled at Daryl, trying to get him to stop what he's about to do. Daryl tried to take a swing. Rick pointed his gun at Daryl's head. Thalia was going to reach for her gun, but she wasn't going to do anything like kill someone in front of Emma Kate or KK.

"We don't kill the living." Rick said gravely.

"That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head." Daryl told the man, he looked over to his left to see his girls clinging to their mom in fear. "In front of my kids!" Rick looked over to the girls, he instantly felt bad for drawing a gun on Daryl.

"We may disagree on some things, not on this. You put it down. Go on." Shane told Daryl. Daryl put the pickaxe down and went away.

"Come with me." Rick said to Jim.

"Where are you taking me?" Jim asked, his time was mixed with fear and confusion.

"Somewhere safe." Rick took Jim with him. Thalia sighed and looked at her girls.

"KK, you and your sister go play, I'm doing to go talk to your daddy." Thalia said before putting Emma Kate down. KK nodded grabbing her little sister's hand and running off.

~•~

Thalia walked to the other side of camp, watching Daryl pickaxe more infected people to the head. Thalia pulled her knife, contributing to the work. Daryl looked over at her. "What are you doing, Thalia?"

She didn't look up at him. "Helping you out."

"I don't need no help." Daryl said with a grunt.

"Hmm. Too bad, you're stuck with me." Thalia told as she stabbed another infected person in the head. "Rick scared the girls earlier."

"I know he did. He knows he did." Daryl told her before slamming his pickaxe to another head. "He wasn't going to pull the trigger."

"How can you be so sure?"

"This group wouldn't last a week without me huntin' for 'em."

"Guess you got a point there." Thalia said as she continued to do what she did best, stabbing walker heads. "They care about you–the girls. I know you haven't known them long, they haven't know you long...they want you to be safe. So, you need to control that temper of yours...KK might start to actually think it's okay."

Daryl fought back a smirk, "What's her real name anyway?"

"Kacee. Kacee Kai Dixon. And then there's Emma Kate Dixon."

Daryl stopped what he was doing. "They have my last name?"

Thalia looked at him. "Yeah..that okay?"

"Hell yeah."

Things got silent between the two. Daryl continued his work but when he got to Ed, Carol stopped him.

"I'll do it. He's my husband." She swung the pickaxe down on Ed's skull repeatedly and all of her anger against her abusive husband was let loose.

Thalia watched for a moment before walking over to Daryl.

"Daryl, most of him was gone, devoured. Why are you letting her pick at him?"

Daryl avoid Thalia's gaze. "Same reason why you would."

~•~

Rick and the rest of the group were waiting by the quarry, to bury their dead.

Just then, Daryl's truck came up with him driving and the dead in the back.

Thalia got out of the passenger seat, helping Daryl unload the bodies.

"Where are the girls?" Lori asked.

"They're in the tent. Daryl and I decided that it was inappropriate to have them here. Especially since they didn't really know many people." Thalia explained. Lori nodded, looking at the wrapped dead bodies.

"I still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right? Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?" Daryl asked Rick and Shane.

"At first." Shane simply said.

"The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow him along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are."

"There are no rules." Rick said.

"Well, that's a problem." Lori said with a shake of her head. "We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do."

"Lori's right." Jacqui said with a nod.

~•~

Thalia was in the tent looking through the girls clothing, making sure she got everything. Rick told the group they were heading towards CDC in about an hour or so.

"Everythin' packed?" Daryl asked walking in the tent grabbing bags. Thalia nodded.

"Yeah, that's it. Did you get Emma Kate's car seat from Shane?"

"Yeah, I got it." Daryl told her.

"Okay. We're good to go then."

~•~

Thalia stood by Daryl's truck with KK right beside her. Emma Kate was in Daryl's arm, playing with her Barbie doll. Daryl would always catch himself glancing down at the baby girl and over to KK, amazed that he made such beautiful kids with such a beautiful woman.

"Everybody listen up. Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"

"We're, uh… We're… we're not going." Morales announced to the group, motioning to his family.

"We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people." Miranda, Morales' wife, explained their reason.

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane told them bluntly.

"We'll take the chance. I got to do what's best for my family." Morales said, standing his ground.

"You sure?" Rick asked.

"We talked about it. We're sure."

"All right. Shane." Rick said, mentally talking about giving them a gun.

"Yeah, all right."

"357?" Rick asked.

"Yeah." Shane said. Daryl scoffed as Rick handed Morales a gun and Shane handed him ammo.

"The box is half full." Shane told him.

"Thank you all… For everything." Miranda said. Lori and Miranda then hugged.

"Come here." Lori said as she hugged the kids goodbye.

"Good luck, man." Shane told Morales.

"Appreciate it." Morales said. Eliza, Morales' daughter, hugged Sophia.

"Bye." The little girl whispered in her friend's ear, giving her a doll. The little girl then turned to KK and gave her a small smile. KK nodded at her. Eliza then waved bye to Emma Kate. The four year old smiled and waved bye before snuggling into her dad's neck.

"Channel 40 if you change your minds. All right?" Rick told them, making sure they know that there's always another option for them.

"Yeah." Morales said with a nod.

"What makes you think our odds are any better? Come on. Let's go. Let's move out." Shane asked Rick as the small family drive away.

Thalia placed Emma Kate in her car seat in the back of Daryl's light blue truck. KK glanced over at Carl before getting in her seat beside Emma Kate. Thalia watched Daryl tighten the rope on his brothers motorcycle.

"Everything good to go?" She asked him, crossing her arms. Daryl looked from the bike to Thalia.

"Yeah, everythin' fine. Let's go." Daryl said as he opened the drivers door, watching Thalia walk over to the passenger side.

~•~

They were on the road. There was many times where Daryl would glance over at Thalia. He looked in the back seat to see his youngest playing with her doll, and his oldest staring at the big black book.

"What's that ya got there, KK?" Daryl asked the girl. She looked up and then looked back down.

"A book." She mumbled. Daryl grunted.

"What you say?"

"It's a photo album, dad. Memories? Things you weren't a part of—"

"KK—" Thalia tried to say firmly.

"You got something you want to say to me?" Daryl asked KK, eyes flickering from the road to her. Just then, the RV two cars in front of him broke down.

KK and Daryl sighed in annoyance. Thalia looked between the two and shook her head. She knew they would go at each other's throats because they're so much alike.

~•~•~•~•~•~ (A/N)

Hope you enjoyed that chapter!

I have so much planned! Some fun moments, some interesting moments ahead. Thank you for reading!

Tell me what ya think. Leave a review for me please! :)


	6. Chapter S I X

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now.)

~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Six – Making Decisions

Thalia told KK to stay by the truck with her little sister while her and Daryl made their way over to the RV.

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube van." Dale complained slightly as he looked from the burst hose to the group that stood in front of him.

"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asked.

"That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape." Dale explained.

"I see something up ahead. A gas station if we're lucky." Shane offered. T-Dog nodded, telling Shane he'd go with him. Suddenly, Jacqui got out of the RV.

"Y'all, Jim..." she said, with her eyes filled with sadness. Thalia looked at Daryl, fearing the worst. "It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore." The woman then went back inside to Jim.

"Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back." Shane told Rick. The ex cop then motioned for T-Dog to follow him. "Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back."

While Shane and T-Dog drive ahead to find a replacement, Rick checked on the infected man, Jim, who was in agony.

Thalia sighed as she turned to Daryl. "That man is not going to make it the CDC."

"I knew he wasn't gon' make it before we hit the road." Daryl said with a grunt. "I shoulda pickaxe 'im while I had the chance."

"Yeah, then you'd be dead with a bullet in your head. Then Rick would have been dead." Thalia said with a small sigh. Daryl didn't say anything else, he stared at the woman. He still couldn't understand why she was so into him. She would kill a man for him, and it wouldn't surprise him if she'd die for him. Little did she know, he'd to the same.

~•~

It was a tough decision but it has been decided, Jim was going to be left behind.

Jim didn't want to put anyone in danger if he died on the RV and started to terrorize those who sat in it. He couldn't risk it. It was his choice. He wanted to die alone. No worries. And no tears. Alone.

The group gathered around the tree where the man sat. Thalia looked back at KK and Daryl, who stood farther away. KK didn't want to say goodbye to a man she barely knew, and Daryl wasn't good at goodbyes so he simply nodded at the man before heading to his truck.

"Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." Jacqui told the skinny, sick man. Jacqui kissed him on the cheek before standing up and walking off.

Thalia looked down at the four year old who stood beside her. Emma Kate walked over to Jim and placed a coloring paper in his hands. It was a picture of him going hiking.

Jim smiled weakly at the picture before looking into her big hazel eyes. "Thank you, Emma Kate."

The girl nodded, she walked over to her mom; grabbing her hand. Thalia then led her daughter over to the truck where her daddy picked her up and buckled her into her carseat.

"Rick is talking to him. We should be leaving soon." Thalia told Daryl. She then looked over to the girls and smiled. "You girls thirsty?"

The two nodded in unison. "KK, get my duffle, you girls will have to share that bottle."

"Okay, momma."

~•~

"KK, you remember that song?" Thalia asked her oldest daughter, reminiscing the pre apocalyptic life she once had with her kids. The girl looked at her mom and scoffed.

"How could I forget? You made me practice that damn song every day."

"Hey! Watch your mouth, KK. You don't use words like that around your mama." Daryl scolded the ten year old. KK looked from her mom to her dad. She shook her head.

"Sorry." She mumbled. Emma Kate looked at her sister and groaned. "What, bug?"

The small child placed her tiny hand on her stomach. KK looked at her sister with sad eyes.

"Mom, she's hungry."

Thalia looked at Daryl then Emma Kate. Daryl looked at his youngest through the rear view mirror.

"Me and mama gon' get y'all some food. Kay, lil bit?" Daryl told the four year old. Emma Kate blushed under her dad's gaze, she nodded.

KK rolled her eyes but she smiled at how cute her little sister reacted to their dad. In a way, she envied the youngest Dixon. How could she be so content? Emma Kate knew what was going on but choose not to let it effect her too much and KK was jealous of that. KK wished she could turn the other cheek on the subject of her life without Daryl, but she can't. She couldn't. She's angry at him and didn't know how to handle it.

"Hopefully they have food at the CDC." Thalia told her ex lover as she leaned back in her seat. "Our kids need something in their empty tummies."

Daryl agreed, his eyes not leaving the road. He wanted to get to the CDC as quickly as they could. He didn't want his girls to starve, ever.

"I learned, you know." Thalia said as she looked from Daryl's blue eyes back to the road. Daryl was a little confused but of course he masked his expression.

"Whatcha talking about now, woman?" Daryl asked gruffly.

"I learned how to punch someone and mean it." Thalia said with a smug smile, teasing Daryl. Daryl looked in her brown eyes and chuckled. He knew what she was talking about, it was the first time in his life a girl made him nervous in a good way.

~•~

The group arrived at the CDC. Daryl put the car in parked, behind the car that belonged to Carol. Thalia grabbed her duffle bag and Daryl's. KK got out of the car while Daryl unbuckled Emma Kate, taking the small child in his arms.

There were hundreds of dead bodies on the ground. Daryl let Emma cover her eyes by burying herself in his neck. KK had a disgusted look on her face, her hands lingering on her pocket knife. The group quietly approached the building.

"All right, everybody. Keep moving. Go on. Stay quiet. Let's go. Okay, keep moving. Stay together." Shane told the group as he moved forward first.

"Keep moving. Come on." Rick said leading the people forward, quietly.

Thalia put her daughter in front of her, making sure she stayed close to the group. Thalia would catch herself looking behind her, making sure Daryl and Emma Kate were still there. Daryl caught Thalia's gaze, he nodded at her; silently telling her that him and their kid were fine.

They reached the building which was locked and shuttered.

"Keep it together. Come on." Shane told the group behind him.

"We're almost there, baby. Almost there." Lori whispered to her son, Carl, who was slightly shaking. He was having an internal panic attack as he looked around to see all the potential walkers. Rick pointed on the door.

There was no reaction. Shane looked at him.

"Nothing?" Shane asked. He walked forward and pounded on the door as well.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog said, a little ticked at the situation.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick asked, trying to find some way to prove that there was people present in the building.

"Walkers!" Daryl yelled out as he looked over his shoulder. Emma Kate clinched tighter on her dad's neck. Thalia pulled out her knife as she tugged KK to the other side of her.

"Baby, come on." Lori told her son as she pulled him closer to the doors of the CDC.

Daryl shot the walker in the head.

"You led us into a graveyard!" Daryl yelled at Shane and Rick. The redneck then felt wetness on his neck before hearing his four year old whimper. She was scared. A natural reaction overcame Daryl, he was pissed that this situation, it made his baby upset.

"He made a call." Shane told Daryl, motioning his head over at Rick.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl said, slightly bouncing the preschooler in hopes of calming her down.

"Just shut up. You hear?" Shame said refraining himself from shoving Daryl. He was mindful of the child in his hands. "Shut up. Shut up! Rick, this is a dead end."

"Where are we gonna go?" Jacqui asked amongst the group.

"Do you hear me? No blame." Shane spat at his best friend.

"She's right. We can't be here, this close to the city after dark." Lori said, her son close to her.

"Fort Benning, Rick... Still an option." Shans told the sheriff.

"On what? No food, no fuel. That's 100 miles." Andrea said incredulously.

"125. I checked the map." Glenn corrected the blonde.

"We'll think of something." Rick said.

"Think fast. This place is about to be infested with walkers!" Thalia told the sheriff as she pulled out her pistol with her other hand. KK walked over to Carl, making sure he was okay. There was panic in his eyes. KK grabbed his hand, bringing him some type of comfort.

"Come on, let's go. Let's get out of here. Let's go. Please." Shane practically begged Rick. Rick caught sight of the security camera's movement. "All right, everybody back to the cars. Let's go. Move."

"The camera... it moved." Rick said pointing at the camera.

"You imagined it." Shane told his friend bluntly.

"It moved. It moved." Rick repeated.

"Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on." Shane told his friend.

"If it was automatic, it would be dead by now. Don't you think?" Thalia said moving forward. She looked between the two gears behind them, seeing them move. "Someone is in there!"

"Don't fill his head up with nonsense, Thalia!" Shane shouted at the mother. "Man, just listen to me. Look around this place. It's dead, okay? It's dead. You need to let it go, Rick."

Rick slammed on the shutters.

"Rick, there's nobody here!" Lori shouted at him, refusing to trust in him.

"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me." Rick said to the camera. Shane tried to drag him away, with the help of Lori.

"Everybody get back to the cars now!" KK quickly walked over to her mom, grabbing her hand.

"No! Someone is in there!" Thalia shouted to the people behind her.

"Please, we're desperate. Please help us. We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left." Rick continued to say in the camera.

"Rick. There's nobody here." Lori whispered in her husband's ear.

"We have nowhere else to go." Rick said before pounding on the door. "Keep your eyes open. If you don't let us in, you're killing us! Please!"

"Come on, buddy, let's go. Let's go." Shane said as he continued to pull Rick back.

"Please help us. You're killing us! You're killing us! You're killing us!" Rick shouted as he was getting pulled back by his friend and wife.

The group was just about to leave when the door to the CDC opened, drowning the survivors in light.

"This a bad time to say me and Rick told ya so?" Thalia asked the group as he gazed into the light.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~ (A/N)

Chapter six is out! whoop! whoop! I'm so happy that you all who read this story is taking a liking to it! I read the comments again and again! It's awesome to see feedback, so please...leave more.


	7. Chapter S E V E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now.)

~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Seven – Strange Doctor

Rick didn't want to stay outside for too long, so he made the first move; encouraging the others to follow him.

"Daryl, cover the back." Shane told him as he moved forward with the group.

The redneck quickly put his daughter down, motioning her to go over to her sister; which she did in a matter of seconds. KK grabbed her sister's hand as they walked beside their mom.

"Never thought I'd be walking into "the light" so early in life. Get it?" KK said to her sister, attempting to lighten the mood. Emma Kate just looked at her sister blankly, not giving her a reaction. KK groaned internally. "Tough cookie."

"Someone here?" Rick asked out loud.

"Is someone here?" Thalia joined in asking.

"Watch the doors. Pay attention to the Rangers." Dale said. The group all looked around, worried about what they can find.

"Is there anyone?" Rick asked once more.

The sound of a loaded gun filled the ears of everyone. The group quickly drew their weapons towards the man who had just welcomed them. Thalia raised an eyebrow at the taller man with blonde hair.

"Anyone infected?" The man asked. Rick nodded.

"One." Rick said. Thalia looked at him. Did he forget they left Jim behind miles ago?

"He didn't make it." Thalia finished for him, her eyes trained on him. The man looked at her, his eyes slightly going wide. He looked at her as if he knew her.

Thalia ignored the his gaze, not understanding the vibe she was getting off of him.

"What are you doing here?" The man asked, his eyes now focused on Rick. "What do you want?"

"A chance at survival."

"That's asking for a lot these days."

"It doesn't have to be "asking for a lot" now, does it? You either help or you don't." Thalia commented towards the man. Rick gave the woman a look, letting her know that he had everything under control but she ignored him.

The man observed every group member before nodding. "You'll all have to submit to a blood test. That's the price for admission."

Rick nodded. "Whatever it takes."

"Grab whatever bags you have outside. Once these doors closed, they stay closed." The man told them. T-Dog and Dale rushed outside.

Daryl ran after them, remembering that he had a bag out. KK quickly followed.

Daryl picked up the bag, he was a little annoyed to see his oldest daughter behind him. "You were supposed to stay with yer mama, Kacee."

"I thought I'd cover you." KK said, ignoring the fact that her dad said her full name.

"Get back inside. C'mon hurry up." Daryl said to his daughter as he motioning her forward.

"Follow me." The man said before walking in the same direction he came in. The group did not hesitate to follow him. "Vi, seal the main entrance and turn off running energy on this floor."

Rick walked beside the man. "Rick Grimes." He said as he motioned for a handshake.

"Doctor Edwin Jenner."

"His name sucks." KK whispered into her little sister ear. The four year smirked. Suddenly, KK felt a pinched on her arm. "Ow."

"Behave." Thalia told her daughter. KK looked away from her mom and rolled her eyes.

~•~

The elevator was a tight fit for sure. Thalia was in front of Daryl and beside Glenn. KK stood in front of her dad, his hand resting on her shoulder with his crossbow in his other hand. Emma Kate was in her mother's arms, holding on to her tightly. The child hated new places, change always scared her.

"Doctor always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl asked the man bluntly, sending him daggers behind his back. He felt something was off about this man. He didn't want his family in danger so it's going to take a lot of convincing Daryl if this guy was trust worthy or not.

"They were lying around." Jenner explain. "Thought I'd familiarize myself." There was a pause. "But you folks don't seem too dangerous." The doctor looked down to see Carl gazing at him. "Except you. I'll have to keep my eyes on you."

Carl smirked, he was amused by the doctor.

Moments later, after the elevator ride, Jenner led the group down a dimmed light hallway.

"Are we underground?" Carol asked as se held her daughter close to her side.

"Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner asked the woman bluntly.

"A little," she said.

"Try not to think about it." Jenner told her. "Vi, turn on the lights, will you?"

The group was led into this large room filled with computers and high tech equipment.

"Wait, where are the others? The researchers, employees?" Rick asked, taking in the empty room.

"In front of you." The doctor said. "It's only me here."

"Boy, aren't we lucky?" KK said under her breath. Thalia didn't hear her but Daryl did. Instead of saying something to her, he smirked. The child was only saying what he was thinking.

"And the person you mentioned, where is she? Vi?" Lori asked the man curiously. Jenner gave her a smug smile.

"Vi! Say hello to our guests... Wish them welcome." Jenner said to no one but the air in the room.

Then, a female mechanical voice said, "Hello, guest. Welcome."

KK rolled her eyes. "Mom, is he forreal?" The girl asked sarcastically. Everyone looked at her with amusement. She was saying what they were thinking. Jenner looked at her.

"Yes. I'm "forreal." You're a feisty one, aren't you?"

"Yes." Everyone answered in unison. Emma Kate nodded her head, though.

~•~

Jenner continued to take the blood of everyone. It was Emma Kate's turn, Thalia sat right beside her.

"It's okay. This is the "butterfly" needle. You won't feel a thing." The doctor reassured the girl. Before the doctor could reach over to her, the child flinched and started crying.

"Baby, it's okay. It'll be over in a second." Thalia tried to calm her. Emma Kate shook her head and cried harder, the scene broke everyone's heart. Daryl walked over to them and kneeled in front of the girl. She had her eyes on her daddy.

"Want to sit in my lap?" Daryl asked the four year old. Emma Kate sniffled before nodding and reaching over to Daryl. Thalia got up from the seat so he could sit down. Emma Kate was a little calmer but still whimpered when the needle came near her.

"Shh. Yer daddy's big girl, 'member?" Daryl said to the child as he tried to get her to stay quiet. The girl nodded and closed her eyes as the man got the blood from her.

"And I'm done." Jenner said to Emma. "Wasn't too bad, huh?"

The little girl frowned before nodding. Jenner gave her a small smile before looking up at Thalia.

"You're next."

Thalia sat in the seat and reached her arm out so he could do what he had to.

"Welcome back, Thalia." Jenner whispered to her as his eyes met hers. Thalia was utterly confused.

"Excuse me?" Thalia asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Nothing. Um, next." Jenner said awkwardly before calling for the next person.

"What is this for?" Andrea asked as he drew blood from her arm. "If we were infected, you would know just by looking at us."

"I've already broken every rule that I was supposed to follow just by letting you in here, so...you owe me." The man said never answering her question. "Okay. All done."

Andrea stood up but as she leaned to walk, her knees gave out. Jacqui quickly caught her before she could fall.

"Is she alright?" Jenner asked.

"She hasn't eaten in days. None of us have." Jacqui quietly explained to the man. He nodded.

"Dinner should be ready soon." He told them before standing up and walking out the room.

"Weirdo." KK said to herself. Thalia pinched her arm. "Ow."

"Behave."

"Alright. Alright. Geez." KK mumbled as she rubbed her arm.

~•~

The group only had to wait about thirty minutes before the food was ready to be served. It was canned vegetables with sliced ham. It was a really good meal compared to what they had to cook up before.

Thalia sat beside Lori, who was becoming a dear friend to her. Emma Kate sat in her mom's lap, picking at her food. KK sat beside her mom, eating her food slowly. Daryl was lingering near his small family as Dale poured everyone some wine.

"And you know, in Italy , children have the right to drink a little wine for dinner." Dale said pouring wine in two extra cups.

"In France too." KK added before scooping up a spoonful of peas.

"That's very good. How did you know that?"

"My Aunt and cousin lived in France before all this happened. She would let me sample wine, I didn't like it though." KK told the older man. He nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah, well , if one day Carl is in Italy or in France , he can drink." Lori said to Dale as she reached for her own glass of wine.

"Why not? It won't hurt him." Rick said with a sly smile. "It may taste good." Lori looked at her husband with an amused, annoyed look. She then turned to Thalia, who shrugged at her.

"It's your call, boss lady." Thalia said with a smirk. Lori grinned before motioning for Carl to go ahead and take a sip. Carl glanced at KK, she gave him a reassuring smile and nodded.

Carl sipped the drink, and from the look on his face...he didn't like it.

"Yuck!" Carl spat as he scraped his tongue with his teeth, attempting to get rid of the taste. Everyone laughed at him, amused at his reaction to the "adult" drink.

"That's my boy." Lori said happily as she ran her slim fingers through his hair. "That's my boy."

"Why don't you stick to soda pop, bud?" Shane said only half amused.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl said from his position beside KK.

"What?" Glenn asked with a goofy grin.

"Keep drinking little man. I want to see how red your face can get." Daryl said with a slight chuckle as he poured himself some more wine.

Everyone in the room sent Daryl disapproving looks but that doesn't stop Glenn from laughing. Thalia shook her head but end up grinning at the men.

"Daryl got no filter." T-Dog said with a loud chuckle.

"You can say that again." Thalia commented looking from T-Dog to Daryl. She caught Daryl's eyes already on her, she smiled softly and turned back to getting her four year old to eat more.

Rick noticed that Jenner stayed quiet while everyone else was loud— enjoying themselves. Rick did not want the doctor to feel left out in his own territory. The sheriff proceeded to get up, tapping his glass, getting everyone's attention.

"I don't think we thanked our host properly." Rick said with a soft smile.

"Hell, he's more than out host." T-Dog said as he stood up giving everyone cheers. Daryl joined in.

"Booyah!" Daryl said loudly, clinking his drinks with everyone else. KK lifted one of her eyebrows in disbelief, her dad was known to be antisocial.

"Momma, is daddy drunk?" KK whispered in her mom's ear, motioning towards her dad. Thalia took in Daryl's actions and shook her head with a laugh.

"Yeah, I think he is."

"Thank you, doctor." Rick told the man once again. Jenner only nodded at him, in a way he was saying, "don't mention it."

"So when the hell are ya going to tell us what happened here, Doc?" asked Shane. The room then went silent, as if the happiness just flew out the window. Everyone basically glared at the man with dark, curly hair.

"Dude– really?" KK mumbled as she placed her spoon down, suddenly losing her appetite.

"All the, uh – the other doctors that were supposed to be figurin' out what happened. Where are they?"

"We're celebratin' Shane, no need to do this now." Rick said to his friend as he began to sit back down.

"Whoa, wait a second." Shane said, waving a hand in Rick's direction and looking at him with a hard look. A look that didn't settle right with a look of people. "This is why we're here, right?" Rick stared back at Shane. It's almost like they were challenging each other. "This was your move." Shane shook his head.

"Supposed to find all the answers. Instead we, uh . . ." He snorted and jabbed his thumb in Jenner's direction. "We found him. Found one man. Why?"

"Well," Jenner started after he cleared his throat, his gaze moved from person to person. "when things got bad, a lot of people just...left." He looked towards Rick. "Went off to be with their families." Jenner paused, looked at the kids. "When things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted." Jenner moved his eyes from the group and down to his plate.

"Every last one?" Shane asked, leaning back in his chair. His eyes were saying he didn't believe the doctor.

"No." Jenner said. He raised his eyes and locked them on Shane. "Many couldn't face walking out the door. They . . . opted out." Thalia could hear everyone gulp the spit that was caught in their throats.

"Opted out?" KK whispered to her mom. Thalia looked at her child with sad eyes, hoping she'd understand.

"There was a rash of suicides." Jenner said, his eyes moving back down to his lap. "That was a bad time."

"You didn't leave." said Andrea, "Why?" Eyes moved from the blonde to the doctor. It was a good question.

"I just kept working." His eyes went back up as he continued, "hoping. To do some good."

Thalia lowered her gaze and looked at her half empty plate, suddenly not wanting to finish. KK looked around her and slowly put the spoonful of vegetables in her mouth, wanting to finish her food.

"Dude, you are such a buzz-kill man." Glen said, plopping down in an empty seat.

~•~

Later, Jenner led the group back through the hallway they first walked through on our way to the big round room. "Most of the facility is powered down, including housing, so you'll have to make do here." Jenner said as they walked. "The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like." Jenner then turned and looked at the children. "There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy. Just don't plug in the video games, okay? Or anything that draws power." The children nodded excitedly, itching to just go and play. Jenner walked away a little bit before turning and looking at us all. "I'm going to my study room. But the power things goes for all of you. If you shower go easy on the hot water."

Everyone's face lit up. Glen turned, his smile as big as bright the sun. "Hot water?!"

"That's what the man said!" T-Dog said with a smile. Everyone turn to leave.

"Uh, Thalia," said Jenner, quickly. "May I speak to you one moment in my study area?" Thalia could feel Daryl tense up beside her. She turned to him.

"Why don't you and the girls settled in? I'll be there soon." Thalia told him. Daryl sighed, his eyes not leaving the doctor. Emma Kate grabbed her dad's finger and attempting to pull him away with her. She was ready to go play with the others.

"Alright, I'm comin'." Daryl mumbled as his youngest led him away.

Thalia was now alone with the doctor. He didn't say anything, he just stared at her with amazement.

"Something you need, Dr. Jenner?" Thalia spoke up after a few moments of silence. Jenner stepped closer to her.

"You really don't remember, do you? Thalia Carter, also known as TS-05 B.O."

"Body odor?" Thalia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, test subject 05...before outbreak." Jenner told her. Thalia looked taken aback.

"I'm not following. I've never seen you before in my life."

"Your mother ever tell you about your car accident when you were fourteen?" Jenner asked. Thalia squinted her eyes. How did he know about that?

"Yeah..." Thalia said as she slowly took a step back. "How did you know about that?"

Jenner looked from her eyes to the floor, "follow me."

Jenner led her to the room where they were earlier with the computers. He turned on the larger computer as he typed in pass-codes and file numbers. Suddenly, the face of teenage Thalia appeared on the screen.

"What the hell?"

"You were in critical condition, the doctors in the hospital gave your mother a choice," the doctor explained to the woman beside him, "they told her you were dead and there was nothing they could do. Well, a few people from the CDC read over your file and decided they wanted to use you for science. They offered your mom $175,000 to donate your body over for "good causes." And she did. She didn't expect for you to be alive two years later. "

"What happened– during those two years?" Thalia asked, her eyes glued to the screen. Jenner clicked on another file and a video started to play.

"The CDC was working on this active cells serum, in a way it makes your immune systems stronger. And other side effects." Jenner said as the video continued to play. "You see, we injected this into many people, criminals, sick children, the elderly, etc."

"And?"

"Sick children and elderly people would die, but the criminals...they turned. Here's a video from the CDC in France."

The video showed a man getting injected with the immune serum, only to have turn into the undead...biting the doctor who injected him. Thalia covered her mouth and gasped.

"This is how it all started." Thalia said, allowing the one tear to slip from her eyes. "But...what does this have to do with me?"

"You were the only one who reacted to the serum well. After we injected you...you got better. You were easy to train."

"Train?"

"Military."

"No, my dad sent me to military school before he died. That's what mom told me." Thalia told the doctor as she shook her head. Jenner looked into her brown eyes, his hand resting on her shoulder.

"Thalia, your dad left...he didn't agree with your mother. So, he cursed us out and walked away."

Thalia scoffed. "My mom wouldn't lie to me." She stepped away from the doctor. "This is all some sick joke."

Jenner shook his head. "No, it's not a joke, Thalia. Your blood could solve this outbreak...end it."

"So what? You need my blood?" Thalia asked as she crossed her arms.

"I won't be the one to solve it," Jenner told her as he grabbed a few paper files. "you will."

Thalia looked at the doctor's hand and then back at him. "Excuse me? I'm- I can't solve some outbreak mystery. It's not in me."

"Thalia, please. Take these files. Have hope, faith."

Thalia stood there for a moment. There was no way the "fate" of man kind was in her hands. She then thought about her children and how if she could solve this, they could have a normal life.

"Okay...but how?" Thalia asked.

"Read through the files. There are codes that I won't be able to figure out, but you will. There is also more information about you and what your body can do."

"Edwin, I'm not sure you understand...there's no hope. With my blood or not. This outbreak is so bad, there's no fixing it. This hell hole is our life now. I've made peace with that. I'm not special." Thalia handed the files back to the doctor. "You've wasted your time. You have the wrong girl."

Jenner paused for a moment. "We're all infected." Thalia froze, turning around to face the doctor.

"What?"

"We're all infected. Everyone. Rick. Your daughters. Your husband. Everyone...except you."

"No." Thalia said with a scoff. "No."

Jenner stayed silent. Thalia could see the seriousness on his face. She shook her head again. Suddenly, her mind traced pieces of her life together. What if this man was telling the truth? Her mother was super surprised to see her the day she arrived home, almost like she's seen a ghost. Doctors always mentioned she had a very rare blood type. She couldn't remember much of her teen years. Or how after the accident her father just suddenly died.

Jenner could tell the woman in front of him was in deep thought. "You might not solve this. But I want you to know that you're special...my wife believed so. Sleep on it." Jenner handed the files back to Thalia, to which she reluctantly accepted them.

"Sleep on it? This is a lot of shit to dump on someone." Thalia said as she flipped through the files quickly. She looked from the files to the doctor. "Goodnight, Edwin."

The doctor watched to woman walk away. "Good luck, Thalia."

~•~

Thalia walked in the room Daryl chose for them. There were two separate cots and a couch. Daryl was sitting on one of the cots, drinking some wine.

"See you back from that talk with the doc. Y'all a thing now?" Daryl asked when he noticed it was Thalia who walked through the door. Thalia internally rolled her eyes.

"Daryl, don't put me, Jenner, and thing in the same sentence. It wasn't like that." Thalia said as she walked over to her bag, placing the files in them. The woman sighed and looked over to her ex lover, she then realized it was quiet.

"Where are the girls?"

"Sophia wanted them to spend the night. I thought, "what the hell? Why not let 'em?" So, I did."

"Your first big parent decision." Thalia said with a grin. "How did it feel?"

"Not bad."

"Don't get use to the good moments. There will be times where you'll disagree and be known as the bad guy." Thalia told him as she reached for some sleepwear. "I'm about to take a shower."

"I'll join you." Daryl said as he stood up.

"What?" Thalia asked, eyebrow raised.

"Woman, I've seen you naked before. I'm sure much ain't changed. Don't look like it."

"Hmm." Thalia said with a nod. There were a lot of things that changed on her body, after having Emma Kate, the stretch marks have gotten worse. "Didn't take you as a showering man in the middle of the apocalypse."

"I ain't. It's jus' hard lookin' at this picture Emma Kate drew of me." Daryl said as he unfolded a paper and handed it to Thalia. It was a poorly drawn picture of Daryl with stinky symbols around it. Thalia couldn't hold back the chuckle.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Baby girl don't want daddy stinking, I get it."

Thalia nodded. She looked at Daryl as she handed him the picture. She felt nervous under his gaze, she always have. "I'll see you in the shower."

Thalia opened their bathroom door and cracked it as she quickly got undressed. The woman entered the shower and allowed the flow of steamed water hit her skin, she never she would feel warm water again. Moments later, Daryl got in.

Thalia's back faced him. Daryl didn't want her to shy away from him, he wanted her to know that his feelings for her were still the same. His feelings forced him to do something he didn't think he'd do ever. Make the first move.

Daryl slowly touched Thalia's shoulder. The woman gasped softly as his hands slowly grazed her skin. Daryl turned her around.

His eyes didn't linger on her exposed breast, yet it lingered on her eyes. Daryl lifted his hand to cuff her right cheek, something he have missed doing over the years. His forehead was now leaned against hers, after a small pep talk in his head, he kissed her. The kiss wasn't urgent and quick, but it was slow and longing.

Thalia missed his lips as soon as he pulled away, she slowly opened her eyes to see him admiring her face.

"Daryl..." she whispered, her arms wrapped around his neck. "I want you."

Daryl's lips were immediately pressed against hers, his hands wrapped around her small waist. Thalia couldn't help but press herself against Daryl's naked body, the feel of his skin against hers sent shivers down her spine. It felt like each time with him was the first.

Daryl allowed his hand to roam her body, he couldn't believe that it was him touching her again. He missed her, in more ways than she'll ever know. He began to kiss her neck, then her collarbone, then her breast. He got on his knees, his mouth kissing down her stomach. He felt Thalia shift on her feet a little uncomfortably, he lifted his eyes to look at her.

"What?" He asked, his voice a little huskier than usual.

"My scars...from the pregnancies." Thalia told him as her hand went to cover her stomach. Daryl stopped her, his hand grabbing her wrist. He looked at her stomach, then he noticed them...the stretch marks.

"You-you got these from having my kids?" Daryl asked, his eyes glued on the marks.

"Yes." Thalia whispered. She expected him to get up and walk away but he didn't. She felt his lips kiss every mark that was presented on her body. Her slim fingers combed through his hair as he admired her body. Thalia then grabbed the small portable bottle of shampoo and washed Daryl's hair as he continued to kiss her body.

The soap quickly dissolved as he stood under the water. Daryl was on his feet once again. He grabbed the body wash and allowed the soap to laver on the skin of his lover. Thalia doing the same for him.

Thalia kissed Daryl once more. He pulled her body against his, cupping her ass in his hands. Thalia knew that signal, she jumped, wrapping her long legs around his waist.

Daryl pressed her body against the glass shower door for support as he slowly entered inside of her. Thalia forgot just how well endowed her man was, she gripped his hair as he thrusted slowly.

"Daryl..." she whispered again before kissing his neck, "faster."

Just like she wanted, she quickened his pace. Her moans were giving him the motivation to make her feel better than she has in a while.

"Don't stop." She would whisper when he would slow down. He was going to reach his climax before hers, and it was something he didn't want. He wanted to reach it with her. "Oh, please, baby. Don't stop."

"I ain't stopping." Daryl told her as he grabbed her hair, tugging on it softly. "I ain't gonna stop, babe."

"Yes, oh, don't stop."

Daryl's lips were connected with hers again, muffling her moans.

"I'm close." She told him while her lips were still against his.

"Cum for me." Daryl said in her ear as he gave her one last hard thrust. She moaned loudly as she rode out her high. Daryl's grip tightened on her waist as he released inside of her.

Soon after, their breathing was normal and they were out of the shower.

"So," Thalia said as she put on her night shirt, "where does this lead us?"

"We're a family, Thally." Daryl told her as he buttoned his sleeveless plaid shirt. "You, me, and the girls."

"Hmm." Daryl looked at her before walking over to her. He kisses her once more.

"You're my girl."

~•~•~•~•~•~ (A/N) -Please Read-

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I have enjoyed writing it!

~okay, so I know it's my job to answer questions! So ask away!


	8. Chapter E I G H T

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now.)

~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Eight – Lost of Hope

Thalia's eyes opened quickly as she gasped for air. Her hand going to her neck, touching it as if she felt her skin was gone.

"Nightmare 'bout walkers?" Daryl asked from the other cot. Thalia looked over at him.

"You were watching me sleep?" Thalia asked as placed her feet on the carpeted floor. Daryl continued to stare at her, he then picked up a wet rag in his hand and gave it to her.

"You were whimpering in yer sleep when I woke up. I figured that's what ya were dreamin' 'bout, right?"

"Yeah– that was the first time it happened." Thalia said as she stared blankly towards the beige wall in front of her. Daryl took the towel from her as he stood in front of her.

"Come 'ere." He said as he dabbed the cold fabric on her face. "Ya gotta know that I ain't gonna let anything happen ta you or the girls." Thalia smirked.

"Believe it or not, Dixon. I don't need you to defend me or the kids. I can handle it."

"I'm goin' to anyways. It don't matter if you can defend for 'em or not. It's my job to be their daddy. And I'm gonna protect them." Daryl said as he pressed the towel on the back of Thalia's neck.

"Good."

Daryl stared into Thalia's brown orbs. "I'm gonna protect you too. Don't care if ya want me to or not." Thalia leaned in and captured his lips in hers, moving them together in a slow motion.

"Mom, it's time for—" KK said as she burst into the room to find her parents kissing. The couple suddenly pulled apart, only to see their daughter looking at them smugly. "So, back together, huh?"

"What do ya want KK?" Daryl asked his daughter. KK smirked at dad.

"I was going to see if you guys want breakfast. Seems like you guys were too busy with other...stuff." KK said with a grin that teased her parents. Thalia sort of admired the immaturity in her eleven year old because with recent events, it forced her to be mature.

"We'll be down soon. Okay?" Thalia told her daughter, who couldn't stop smiling at them.

"Take your time." KK said as she closed the door, still smiling from ear to ear.

"That kid is gonna be the death of me." Daryl said with a sigh. Thalia chuckled at him.

"We should head down."

"Yeah," he said with a grunt.

~•~

"Are you hung over? Mom said you'd be." Carl asked his father as he entered the room slowly.

"Mom is right." Rick told his son as he sat down beside him. Carl looked over at KK and grinned. KK smiled at Carl before eating some more of her animal crackers she had last night. Emma Kate sat closely beside her sister, the four year old was tired from staying up all night with KK and Sophia.

"Mom has that annoying habit." Lori said with a grin as she looked up at her husband.

"Eggs. Powdered, but—but I do 'em good." T-Dog said as he smiled at his accomplishment. Glenn groaned from where he was seating. "I bet you can't tell." Dale laughed at Glenn's misery and T-Dog's teasing. Jacqui rubbed Glenn's shoulders. T-Dog dished out the eggs to all, including Glenn.

"Protein helps the hangover." T-Dog told Glenn teasingly. Glenn groaned once again. Rick held up a bottle of aspirin.

"Where'd all this come from?" Rick asked.

"Jenner." Lori told him. Rick nodded slowly.

"Could you help me, please?" Rick asked his wife, passing the bottle to her. Lori then opened the bottle for Rick.

"With everyone getting drunk, he thought we could use it." Lori explained to Rick why Jenner have them the bottle of aspirin. "Some of us, at least."

Then, Thalia and Daryl made their way into the kitchen. KK looked over to Carl with a cheeky grin, she looked at her parents.

"Hey, mom and dad. Have a good morning?" KK asked her parents before Carl and Sophia started to giggle. Daryl glared at the children, which made them stop giggling instantly. Daryl was about to say something to his eldest daughter but Thalia stopped him.

"Kacee, stop while you're ahead." Thalia said with a firm tone that wiped the grin off KK's face. Thalia never calls KK by her first name, so when she decides to...KK would know she might be in trouble. Thalia then noticed a small figure beside KK. Emma Kate was fast asleep beside her sister. "Awh, poor thing. You had her up late last night?"

"We told her to sleep but she wanted to stay up with us." Sophia told Thalia. KK nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, she tried to hang with the big kids. Unfortunately, she couldn't." KK said as she finished her plate of powered eggs.

"KK, you're about to fall asleep yourself. That's why you're in a good mood."

"Don't ever ever ever let me drink again." Glenn said with a groan. Thalia turned to her favorite Asian and chuckled.

"Rough night, Glenn?"

"Shh, Thalia. You're too loud." Glenn groaned from his spot beside the woman. Thalia chuckled once again and whispered, "Sorry, Glenn."

"Hey." Shane greeted everyone as he walked into the dining area.

"Hey. Feel as bad as I do?" Rick asked his best friend. Shane walked to the table where the coffee pot and cups were.

"Worse." Shane said as he took his seat. T-Dog then notice the scratches on Shane's face and neck.

"What the Hell happened to you? Your neck?" T-Dog asked, concerned that he could've been scratched by a walker or something. Shane looked puzzled.

"I must have done it in my sleep." Shane told him. Lies.

"Never seen you do that before." Rick told him with his eyebrow raised.

"Me neither." Shane said as he looked at Lori. "Not like me at all."

Lori ate her food and didn't look up.

"Morning." Dr. Jenner said as he walked through the door to the coffee area.

"Hey, Doc." Shane greeted. Everyone at the table greeted the doctor.

"Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing—" Dale began to say.

"But you will anyway." Jenner said cutting the older man off.

"Jackass." KK mumbled as she continued eating. Daryl heard her but didn't say anything, he thought her sly comments were truthful and entertaining. Thalia, on the other hand, did not. Thalia pinched her daughter's arm, hoping that she'd behave better.

"We didn't come here for the eggs." Andrea told the doctor.

"Very well. Follow me." Jenner said as he led everyone into the big room. "Give me a playback of TS-19."

"Playback of TS-19." The computerized voice, known as Vi, said.

"Few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few." Jenner began to tell the group. Up on the wall an oversized display shows varying 3-D views of human skulls.

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked. Thalia narrowed her eyes on the screen.

"An extraordinary one. Not that it matters in the end. Take us in for E.I.V."

"Enhanced internal view." The main screen changed to show the upper shoulders and head of the subject. The screen skewed to a horizontal view then increased the magnification. The image became more and more detailed. The magnification showed the Inside the skull. It appeared to be lit with bright blue threads of energy. Some areas are denser with light than others but there are lighted threads throughout the skull. The detail zoomed in until the threads become closer and pulses of light can be distinguished.

"What are those lights?" Shane asked.

"It's a person's life—experiences, memories. It's everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you—the thing that makes you unique and human."

"You don't make sense ever?" Daryl said, the frustration of not truly understanding the medical terms that Jenner preferred to use.

"Those are synapses. Electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says does or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death." Jenner said.

"Death? That's what this is, a vigil?" Rick asked.

"Yes. Or rather the playback of the vigil."

"This person died? Who?" Andrea asked, crossing her arms. Jenner swallowed his spit before speaking.

"Test subject 19. Someone who was bitten and infected... and volunteered to have us record the process. VI, Scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event." Vi said, obeying Dr. Jenner. The screen showed a message "Scanning Forward." The brain had lights still flickering in the outer areas but the center had became dark as if black roots were growing inside.

"What is that?" Glen asked.

"It invades the brain like meningitis. The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death. Everything you ever were or ever will be...gone." Thalia told the group as eyes turned to her. Jenner looked at the woman, his eyes flickered with spark.

"You read it, didn't you?" Jenner asked, referring to the papers he gave her.

"I might have peeked at those charts." Thalia told him as she crossed her arms. Everyone was confused, not knowing what sort of exchange Thalia and the doctor had. Daryl raised his eyebrow, looking between his woman and the doctor. His woman.

"Something going on between you two?" Shane asked, instigating the argument Thalia and Daryl were going to have later.

"What?" Thalia asked, her face looking disgusted with the thought of having "something" going on with Jenner. "That's gross. No offense, Jenner."

"Some taken." Jenner said with a nod.

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia asked her mother, Carol.

"Yes." Carol said quietly with a nod. Andrea was quiet, realizing this happened to her precious baby sister, Amy. Andrea's tears caught Jenner's attention.

"She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister." Lori informed the doctor as she held on to her son.

"I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is." Jenner told Andrea. The blonde looked at Jenner with sympathy. Jenner gazed at her for a moment and then told Vi to, "Scan to the second event."

"Scanning to second event."

"The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute... seven seconds." A red glow flickered at the base of the brain. The rest remained dark. Random sparks shot out into the larger area of the brain but no further lights grow.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori asked, trying to catch on.

"No, just the brain stem. Basically it gets them up and moving." Thalia informed her.

"But they're not alive?" Rick asked Thalia. Thalia didn't know how to answer that. Jenner spoke for her.

"You tell us." Jenner said as he gestured to the monitor.

"It's nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark." Rick said as he shook his head.

"Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part—that doesn't come back. The you part. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct." The subject moved, its mouth opened and closed. The head moved side to side, the shoulders moved as if the arms were being lifted. The barrel of a gun appeared at the forehead pointing down. A bullet entered the brain and tears through the red cluster of embers. The brain went completely dark, the subject stopped moving.

"God. What was that?" Carol asked.

"He shot his patient in the head. Didn't you?" Andrea told Carol before turning to Jenner.

"VI, Power down the main screen and the workstations." Jenner said.

"Powering down main screen and workstations."

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea asked.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal." Jenner said listing things.

"Or the wrath of God?" Jacqui said with a small tear running down her face.

"There is that."

"Somebody must know something. Somebody somewhere." Andrea said.

"There are others, right? Other facilities?" Carol asked.

"There may be some. People like me." Jenner said. "Or there are smarter people than me, closer than you think." The doctor glanced at Thalia quickly, which the group didn't catch on to.

"But you don't know? How can you not know?" Rick asked.

"Everything went down. Communications, directives—all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."

"So it's not just here. There's nothing left anywhere? Nothing? That's what you're really saying, right?" Andrea asked.

"Jesus." Jacqui whispered to herself.

"Man, I'm gonna get shitfaced drunk again." Daryl said as he rubbed his eyes. His daughters looked at him then to their mom. Thalia shook her head at Daryl.

"Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question, but...that clock—it's counting down. What happens at zero?" Dale asked. No one seem to noticed the clock before he said something.

"The basement generators—they run out of fuel." Jenner said.

"And then?" Rick asked, knowing there's got to be more than that going on. Jenner ignored the question and walked out of the big room. "VI, what happens when the power runs out?"

"When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur." Vi told them. Thalia knew decontamination did not sound good.

"Fuck." Thalia whispered.

"T-Dog, Shane, and Glenn..." Rick said as started to walk off. "Come with me."

~•~

Daryl came out of the bathroom he shared with Thalia and his daughters. Thalia was reading some papers while Emma Kate played with her Barbie dolls.

"Where's Kacee?" Daryl asked Thalia as he grabbed his bottle of wine. Thalia looked at him then back down to the papers.

"With Carl and Lori." Thalia informed him. "She wanted to spend time with him."

"Kid better not get any ideas." Daryl mumbled.

Thalia scoffed with a amusement. "Daryl, it's the end of the world. The last thing on their minds is developing romantic feelings for each other. They're kids."

"Yeah, well, she can't be developing feelings for no one. Even if the world was the way it was a few months ago."

"Someone's protective of their babies." Thalia said as she closed some files and stuffing them in her bag.

"Damn straight." Daryl said, taking another swig of his drink. Thalia rolled her eyes as she walked over to the redneck, kissing his soft lips slowly. "Thally, don't get me started. We got a kid in the room."

Thalia turned to her youngest daughter and smiled. "Emma Kate, should we get you a bath, really quick?" The four year nodded with a smile before running in the bathroom. "She likes bath, hates naps."

"I'll make sure I remember that." Daryl told Thalia watching her walk into the bathroom. The redneck looked over at his crossbow and the towel rag beside. "Hell, might as well clean it up."

Few minutes later, he heard Thalia sing.

"Loving you, has made my life so beautiful. And everyday of my life I spend in love with you.."

Daryl leaned on the doorway to their bathroom to see Thalia and Emma Kate sharing a bubble bath. Emma Kate was against her mom, the bubbles covering up their bodies. Thalia making sure her baby got out all the soap in her hair.

"La. La. La. La. La. La. La. La. Oh. Do. Da. Doooo.." Thalia continued to sing, she pointed at her daughter who squealed. "Ah! Look at you hitting high notes."

"Nice to see y'all havin' fun. Hurry up before you two get wrinkles." Daryl said with a soft grin. Emma Kate smiled at her dad before putting the foamy soap on her chin.

"She's saying she's got facial hair like you." Thalia said with an amused grin. Daryl's eyes shined with pride. He was proud to be a father. He walked over to his daughter and kissed her on the forehead.

"Now, you look like daddy." He said as he grabbed a dry towel. "Come on. Let's get you some clothes on"

The small girl allowed her dad to wrap her in the towel, taking her away from her bath. Thalia watched them walk out and smiled.

"I'll be out in a minute."

~•~

Lori watched Carl play a friendly card game with KK Dixon, a girl that she could never understand. The child was so much like Daryl, it was uncanny. But around Carl, she's much nicer and kind. Lori liked that there were two sides to KK, she didn't think Carl could handle a brutally honest friend right now. Especially with the word going to shit. KK looked up to see Lori staring at them.

"Your mom is being weird." KK whispered. "She's staring."

Carl looked up for a second and smiled. "Maybe she thinks your pretty."

"Fat chance." KK said with a scoff.

"Well, you are pretty." Carl said as he laid his queen of hearts card down. KK looked at the boy, she felt herself blush. The feeling she felt in her stomach were unfamiliar to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled. Then, the sound the of vent went off. Lori stood up, waving her hand in front of the vent.

"Mom? Something wrong?" Carl asked.

"Uh, nothing. It's just...the air conditioning stopped." Lori said, trying to sound as calm as possible. "If it's not one thing...it's something."

Fuck.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~ (A/N)

I know it's a weird place to stop a chapter, but eh..

I love you guys! Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter N I N E

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now.)

~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Nine — Escaping Death

Thalia looked at Daryl as she brushed Emma Kate's hair. "You feel that?"

"No." Daryl said as he took a swig of his alcoholic beverage. "The damn air is off."

Thalia quickly put Emma Kate's hair in a ponytail. She picked her daughter up, allowing the preschooler aged tyke to rest on her shoulder. "What the hell is going on, Daryl?"

"I don't know, but pack our shit in case." Daryl said just before reaching over to grab his youngest so she could rest in his arms while Thalia packed their bags quickly. "I'm gon' find out what the hell is goin' on."

"It's a good thing we didn't get settled in." Thalia said as she zipped her bag. Daryl grunted as he put Emma Kate on her feet.

"Go to yer mama." Daryl told the four year old, who quickly ran over to Thalia.

Daryl sticked his head out of the door, to see Jenner walking pass everyone. "What's going on? Why is everything turned off?"

Jenner took the whiskey bottle from Daryl without slowing down.

"Energy use is being prioritized." Jenner said as an explanation. Daryl turned to Thalia, her face was calling bullshit.

"Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale asked.

Jenner took a drink straight from the bottle. "It's not up to me. Zone 5 is shutting itself down."

"Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?" Daryl shouted. Thalia picked up Emma Kate and walked out, following Daryl and Jenner.

Jenner kept walking, everyone followed. Suddenly, the power whirled down. "Hey, man, I'm talking to you. What do you mean it's shutting itself down? How can a building do anything?"

Rick, T-Dog, Glenn and Shane came running to join them.

"You'd be surprised." Jenner said, responding to Daryl.

"Rick?" Lori called out. The Sheriff motioned for his wife to wait. Jenner walked down the stairs past Rick and the others and up the steps to the big room.

"Jenner, what's happening?" Rick asked.

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power. It's designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half-hour mark. Right on schedule." Jenner explained. Jenner took another drink from the bottle. He paused at the steps that lead up to the work stations in the big room. Everyone had followed and grouped around. Jenner handed the bottle to Daryl who angrily snatched it out of Jenner's hand.

"It was the French." Jenner said, looking at Andrea. Thalia eyes widen a little, he was going to tell the whole group about her past and how she somehow had something to with the outbreak.

"What?" Andrea asked, in a way telling him to continue.

"They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know. While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end. They thought they were close to a solution."

"What happened?" Jacqui asked.

"The same thing that's happening here. No power grid. Ran out of juice. The world runs on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?"

"Let me tell you—" Shane started to say.

"To Hell with it, Shane. I don't even care. Lori, grab our things. Everybody, get your stuff. We're getting out of here now!" Rick told everyone, he was getting annoyed with the situation and very pissed off.

"Oh, Okay." Jacqui stated quietly.

Carl, Sophia, and KK ran into the big room together and to their parents. Suddenly, alarms started blaring.

"What's that?" Carl asked.

"30 minutes to decontamination." The computerized voice, Vi, said.

"Doc, what's going on here?" Daryl asked before pulling KK over to him. Daryl's oldest daughter was confused as to what was going on but deep down she knew that something bad was about to happen.

Jenner scanned his badge and entered a code into a security pad.

"Everybody, y'all heard Rick." Shane said, trying to get everyone's attention off the doctor.

"Get your stuff and let's go! Go now! Go!" Rick shouted, rushing everyone out.

"Let's go." T-Dog said to Jacqui, grabbing her arm.

"Come on!" Glenn told the whole group.

Rick ran towards a security door that is sliding up to block the way back out of the C.D.C. Rick ran towards it in a panic.

"No. Did you just lock us in?" Glenn asked the doctor frantically. "He just locked us in!"

"What the actual fuck?!" Thalia shouted to the doctor as she gave Emma Kate to KK. Thalia stared down Jenner, she took steps towards him.

"Thalia, you have to understand—"

Thalia grabbed his medical cloth and shoved him roughly, "Do not tell me what I have to understand!"

"We're all doomed if we live!" Jenner shouted. "There's no stopping this."

Carol held her daughter closely to her as they cried with each other. Carl clutched his mother before allowing a few tears to escape his face.

"You fucking asshole!" Daryl exclaimed to Jenner. "You locked us in here! You son of a bitch."

"Daddy calm down!" KK said clutching her sister close to her. Daryl was still upset, but he didn't want his girls to witness him murder a person.

"Hey, Jenner, open that door now." Rick said with authority.

"There's no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed."

"Well, open the damn things." Dale told the doctor.

"That's not something I control. The computers do. I told you once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that. It's better this way."

"We thought you meant it as we've entered safe haven, you dick!" Thalia snapped at Jenner. Jenner looked at the young woman with sympathy in his eyes. He didn't think it about the next day, but now he felt as if it was best if TS-05 B.O. was terminated. Maybe killing Thalia would trigger something. "You made us think we were safe!"

"Thalia, I'm sorry."

Daryl shoved Jenner. "You don't get to talk to her. Don't even fucking look at her."

"What happens in 28 minutes?" Rick asked as he pointed at the board. "What happens in 28 minutes?!"

"You know what this place is?! We protected the public from very nasty stuff! Weaponized smallpox! Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out! Ever!"

Realization hit Thalia, she looked up from her feet with wide eyes. "Holy fuck."

"What?" Rick asked. Rick made his way in front of Thalia. "What is it Thalia?"

"This place is going to blow to hell. It's the only way the CDC knows how to terminate Thierry buildings...burning in flames." Thalia told them as a tear escaped her eye. KK gasped holding on to her weeping sister tighter. Daryl noticed his daughters crying and got upset all over again. He grabbed an ax and stared to go in on the metal door.

"Those doors were built to withstand rocket missiles." Jenner informed Daryl. Daryl turned around and gave the man a death glare.

"Yeah, well, your head ain't!" Daryl shouted as he tried to ax the doctor to death. Rick and Shane acted quickly and get between the angry redneck and the strange Doctor.

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this." Carol sobbed.

"Wouldn't it be better? The flames will burst into oxygen, it would be painless."

"Except for that one second where you feel like you have asthma." Thalia said. She shook her head. "Jenner, we deserve a chance to live and to fight. We didn't come this far to die."

"Thalia, I made a promise to my wife—"

"That doesn't matter anymore, she's dead! If she was alive, she'd tell you to get your head out of your ass and let us live! Who are you to tell us that life out there wouldn't make a difference? We could save people. I can help them. But I can't if you won't let me." Thalia stared into Jenner's eyes, silently telling him to let them go.

"Let us have hope, please." Rick voiced after Thalia. Jenner looked between the people in front of him. The doctor sighed.

"It's your decision on what you want to do. You stay or take your chances out there." Jenner said as he entered the code and unlocked the doors. "Go."

Everyone acted quickly. "Rick." Jenner said, he pulled Rick closer to him and whispered something. Rick looked at him and then at Thalia.

"Thalia, come on!" Daryl said as he ran with KK and Emma Kate in his arms.

They were in the main center, where they were the other night. Daryl looked at Thalia and said, "Stay here, I'm gonna run to our room and get our stuff. I'll be right back."

"Where's dad going?!" KK asked her mother. Thalia held her daughters close.

"He'll be back. He promised."

"The glass won't break?" Sophia asked but it came out like a whimper. Carol reached in her bag.

"Rick, I have something that might help." Carol informed Rick.

"Carol, I don't think a nail file's gonna do it." Shane said sarcastically.

Ignoring Shane, Carol continued, "Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform I found this in your pocket." Carol pulled out the grenade Rick had picked up in the tank in Atlanta. She gave it to him and took Sophia away toward the back of the lobby.

"Come on." Carol said to Sophia.

"Look out!" T-Dog shouted.

Everyone but Rick took cover while he removed the pin and put the grenade on the window sill. Terrified at what he's just done he leaped back far away as quickly as he could.

"Oh, Sh—" Rick said.

"Get down!" Daryl shouted to everyone.

The grenade was successful, it blew a hole into the unbreakable glass. Daryl grabbed his children and ran off with Thalia following closely behind.

"Get in your cars! Move!" Rick shouted to the group of people.

"Come on!" Daryl told his girls as they got into the truck quickly. Thalia got in the truck and immediately covered her children up. Daryl noticed Andrea and Dale running from the building, then he noticed the fire rising, he quickly covered Thalia and his daughters right before the building exploded.

The smell of smoke filled the noses of everyone who wasn't dead.

Daryl was breathing hard as the energy from all that running took over his body.

"Are you girls okay?" Thalia as she checked over them for wounds. KK nodded. Thalia looked at Emma Kate, "what about you bug?"

"I want daddy." The little girl said, her voice small and her lips quivering.

Thalia's heart jumped and shattered at the same time. Emma Kate just said something.

"What did you say baby?" Thalia asked, her voice breaking from happiness.

"I want daddy." Emma Kate said again as she pointed at Daryl. Daryl was so shocked, he didn't know want to say.

"Come here, princess." Daryl said as he hugged her small body close to him.

"I hate to ruin this beautiful moment, really I do, but can we go?!" KK said from her spot in the back seat. Thalia turned around to look at her daughter and smiled.

"Yes, we can go."

Emma Kate sat in Daryl's lap as he drove off, away from the CDC.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~ (A/N)

Whoop! Whoop! We're heading into season two! My favorite season, to be honest.

I know that KK seems like she never gets any glory but her time of glory will come soon. She's happy that Emma Kate is speaking now but if you haven't noticed...KK is not easy to impress. She's much like Daryl in that sense.


	10. Chapter T E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Ten — No Such Thing as Paradise

The dead was slightly sprinting after Shane as he tried his hardest to get to the RV.

"Daryl, we gotta do something!" Thalia exclaimed as she watched what was happening from her seat. Daryl grunted.

"Girls, roll up yer windows!" Daryl told his daughters while he started beeping his horn, getting the load of walkers attention. KK acted fast as she rolled up her sisters window, but as she started to roll hers up a walker grabbed her hair pulling the girl towards it.

"No!" KK screamed as she grabbed one of her daggers and stabbed it between its eyes.

"You okay, Kacee?" Thalia asked as she looked at her daughter with worry and concern.

KK huffed a sigh and finished rolling up her window. "I'm peachy."

Daryl started beeping his horn, catching the attention of the other walkers that followed Shane. Daryl put the truck in reverse and drove in another direction.

"Wait, where are we going?" Thalia asked.

"I'm circling around." Daryl said as he turned the wheel. "Draw the geeks out and then hit the gas and catch up with the RV."

"Okay—"

"Mommy. Are we going to be lost again?" Emma Kate asked as KK buckled her seatbelt. Thalia turned to her youngest with a small smile on her face, just hearing her voice made the mother's heart melt.

"No, baby. We're not going to be lost again."

"Because we have daddy?" KK rolled her eyes at her sister's "cuteness."

"Yeah, because y'all have me now." Daryl answered for Thalia. KK looked over to her dad and scoffed.

"Would've been nice if we always had you."

"Kacee, I've had it with your tongue. I didn't know you existed until I asked yer mom the other day, alright?! So, drop it." Daryl snapped. KK shook her before opening her mouth again. "I mean it, K. Drop it."

KK shook her head and rolled her eyes, she looked over to her sister, noticing she was staring at her.

"What are you looking at?" KK slightly snapped. The four year old turned her head quick, feeling intimidated by her older sister. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"So, where are we going Daryl?" Thalia asked. "Better question. Where are they going?" Thalia pointed in the direction of the RV.

Daryl was quiet for a moment but then he noticed the familiar street. "I'll be damn. Rick's a smart man. Babe, recognize this road?"

Realization hit Thalia. "Oh yeah! G and his men. Of course we could hang out with them until we're ready to move on. It would make sense. We did give them guns."

"Damn right. They should be throwing us a damn party." Daryl said as he parked the truck behind the RV. "Grab Emma Kate."

Thalia got out the car and quickly unbuckled Emma Kate's car seat. The little girl wrapped her tiny arms around her mother's neck. Her head was getting heavy on her shoulder, the child was falling asleep. "KK, grab your backpack."

"Okay," she mumbled.

"You think they'd let us stay?" Glenn asked Rick as the group inched closer to the nursery home.

"Let us stay? The should throw us a damn party with the guns we gave them." Daryl grunted as he passed by Rick and Glenn.

"You gave some guns away?" Shane asked Rick, the man was slightly confused.

"Hard to explain right now. Let's talk later."

As they all walked forward into the parking lot of the nursery home, Glenn looked at Thalia with a confused expression.

"Where are the lookouts?" He asked her. She turned around for at least one man on sight but found no one.

"I don't know."

"Come on, this way." Rick told the group as they followed.

Then, the familiar snarling sound infested the ears of the group. It was a massacre, the dead was feasting on the flesh of the dead "watchmen."

"Son of a bitch!" Shane exclaimed.

The women looked scared. Lori pulled Carl closer to her as Sophia clinched to her mother's side. KK took her mini spears, getting ready for some action.

"No, KK, take your sister." Thalia said as she gave Emma to her oldest daughter.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not. Go stand by Lori. Now." Thalia said as she took out her pistol, reloading it. KK made a sound of frustration as she quickly walked over to Lori with a sister in her arms.

The walkers sensed the smell of fresh blood, slowly they lifted their heads to reveal their dead faces.

"Damn things never quit eating," Thalia said as she readied herself to shoot, waiting for Rick's signal.

Rick shook his head and made a face of determination. "To hell with the noise." Rick shot first with the sound of guns popping off right after him.

The women held their children tight as the loud bangs filled their ears, but soon it was over.

Snarling from the distance was getting closer.

"Come on, let's go! Follow me!" Rick told the group as he ran off in the building. Without a doubt, they followed him quickly.

The sight that was to be seen inside the home for the elderly was monstrous. Dead people shot in the head from left to right. Out of fear, Sophia started to cry out loud. That didn't go over well with Daryl.

"Put a sock in it." He told the little girl firmly.

"You leave her alone." Carol said softly, yet protectively as she pulled her daughter close.

"My four year old ain't crying," Daryl said angrily. "You shut that girl up or I will."

"Hey, back the hell off. I mean, now." Lori told Daryl with authority. Thalia looked at her friend.

"No, Lori, you back the hell off." Thalia told her friend with a firm expression. "Rick, are we staying or going?"

"We ain't got the fuel to just up and leave, Thalia."

"We bar it down for the night." Shane suggested. "Rick, me, you and Daryl are gonna sweep this place to make sure we're alone."

"Alright, Glenn and T-dog, make sure the doors are sealed. Get the women and children to a safe spot." Rick instructed.

"I'm going to sweep the upstairs alone. I have something I need to find." Thalia told Rick.

"The hell you are—" Daryl objected.

"Daryl, not now. I'll be fine on my own." Thalia told her man as she stared him down, she then looked at Rick.

"Alright, but if your not back in five minutes...we're looking for you."

"Seven minutes top." Thalia turned to Lori.

"You know I'll watch them."

Thalia nodded at them before quickly walking off.

"This is bullshit." KK mumbled.

"Shut your mouth, K." Daryl scolded his daughter. "Rick, let's go." The men quickly took off the opposite direction of Thalia.

~•~

Thalia was up the stairs, checking every room she walked by, she was disgusted to see the amount of elderly people shot in the head. But then she was in front of the room she desired most, the medical closet.

She quickly opened it, ready for anything to pop out but there was nothing there. Just medicine.

"Thank God." Thalia said as she ran through pills and liquids until she found a stash of inhalers. "Yes."

She ran out of inhalers for Emma Kate a few weeks ago, she was incredibly lucky that she hasn't had an outburst for a while. Thalia stuffed her bag with all the remaining inhalers and quickly made her way back down the stairs where everyone was joined in the biggest room in the nursery home.

Daryl noticed his woman walk in the room. "Another minute and I was gonna haul ass up there." Daryl told Thalia.

"I told you I can handle myself." Thalia said with a smirk.

"What the hell happened here?" Glenn said looking around the room, in horror.

"The were overrun, isn't obvious?" Andrea said with her arms crossed examining the room around her. Daryl looked at Thalia then at Andrea and scoffed.

Andrea sharply cut her eyes at Daryl, "Something to say?"

"Yeah, how 'bout observant?"

"Observant? Big word coming from a guy like you, three whole syllables." Andrea said sarcastically. Thalia stepped forward but Daryl got in front of her.

"Walkers didn't do this. Geeks didn't show up until all this went down. Somebody attacked this place. Killed all this people, took whatever they wanted." Daryl continued to explain. "They're all shot in the head, execution style. Y'all worried about walkers? I'd be much more worried about the people who did all this."

The group was shaken with fear after hearing Daryl's theory and realizing he was right.

Daryl placed his crossbow on his back as he cut his eyes at Andrea again, "Get a dictionary." Daryl picked up his youngest daughter as she laid her head in his shoulder. "Look it up. Observant." Daryl glanced at Thalia, nodding for her and KK to follow him.

Thalia looked at Andrea with a victorious smirk on her face. "Don't underestimate him, honey. The man is hella smart."

~•~

It was night and the group stayed together in one room. Thalia sat in the corner beside Daryl's things as she braided KK's hair once again. Emma Kate was playing with her stuffed bunny.

Daryl was in the doorway, staring at his small family. His family.

"Nice little bit you got there." Shane said standing beside Daryl, referring to his woman and daughters. "Lucky man to have a woman like her."

"Best keep your eyes to yourself." Daryl said harshly. "Ain't you got a thing for wanting other men women?"

Shane gave him a dumbfounded look.

"Yeah, Shane, you ain't slick." Daryl commented before walking over to Thalia and the girls.

"Who would do something like this? Who would kill innocent people in cold-blood?" Glenn said, thinking out loud. But of course his haunting words sent chills down Sophia's back as she looked up to her mother. Carol tried soothing her.

"Glenn, let's talk outside." Rick said as he ushered Glenn out the door.

"Hey, I'm gonna go out there and keep watch. You and the girls get some sleep." Daryl said as he looked at Thalia.

"I can help you keep watch." Thalia offered. Daryl shook his head.

"Nah, y'all sleep." Daryl told her before touching her hand, showing G rated affection while he was in front of the group. Thalia nodded as she watched Daryl walk out the door.

~•~

The night came as fast as it went. Daryl had decided that the RV and other vehicles could use the small gas he had left in his truck. Leaving Thalia and the girls to ride in the RV.

"Be careful on that thing." Thalia said as she walked over with the girls following her. Daryl looked at her, there was amusement in his eyes.

"I'm always careful, woman." He then looked down to see the helmet he never wears. He looked over to his older daughter. "Kacee, want to ride with yer old man."

He's never seen KK's face light up before. "Hells yeah!"

"Daryl—" Thalia began to say.

"Oh come on, mom. We'll be careful." KK said with pleading eyes.

"She'll be fine, Thally. I promise."

"Okay, just be extra careful." Thalia agreed as she picked up Emma Kate and placed her around her hip. "We'll be riding in the RV. KK, do what your daddy says." KK nodded as she put on her helmet.

Thalia smiled at Daryl and KK before making her way to the RV.

"Finally, those two knuckleheads can do something together." Thalia whispered to her baby girl before walking on the RV. Emma Kate giggled as she hid her face in her momma's neck.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~ (A/N)

I had fun writing this chapter!

Anyways, tell me what you thought about the chapter! I love reading feedbacks, it makes me want to continue writing this story.


	11. Chapter E L E V E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Eleven — What Lies Ahead

KK held on to her dad tightly, feeling the wind through her hair while riding on her Uncle Merle's motorbike.

"Kacee, hang on to me tighter. I might have to make some crazy turns." Daryl warned his daughter, seeing the interstate full of cars ahead of him.

"Okay!" KK yelled over the noise of the bike.

Inside the RV, Thalia and her youngest daughter sat at a small table the RV had to offer, they were near the window. Shane took up all the space on the table, silently cleaning his gun and putting it back together.

"Look, mommy. It's sissy and daddy!" Emma Kate said excitedly, watching the two people she cared about ride a motorcycle beside the big RV.

Thalia brushed her fingers through Emma's curly sandy brown hair, smiling at her daughter's excitement. "Yeah, baby, I see them."

Andrea sat down beside Thalia, giving her a small smile before adverting her eyes to Shane, watching him clean up his weapon.

"Looks complicated." Andrea commented, referring to the Shane's knowledge in weapon cleaning.

Shane glanced up at the blonde. "The trick is getting all these pieces back together the same way." Shane smirked for a moment, not really looking at Andrea. His eyes were trained on his gun parts. "I could clean yours, show you how." He looked at her, focusing his eyes on her.

Thalia silently watched the interaction between the two. She rolled her eyes, noticing how Shane was being a flirt.

Shane reached down in the weapon bag to grab Andrea's gun, pointing it to nothing, only checking out the aim and grip of her gun. "Oh yeah. It's a sweet piece."

Andrea placed one of her hands on the back of her head, smiling sweetly at the ex-cop. "It was a gift from my father. He gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said "two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves.""

"Smart man, your father. Look, it's a-it's a limited capacity. See? Only holds seven rounds."

"Oh. Jeez." Dale said, focusing his eyes on the road. He sighed seeing the road block of cars ahead of him. "Aw, man."

"Excuse me, Andrea." Thalia said, motioning herself to want to leave her spot from the window. Andrea got up so Thalia and Emma Kate can get out of their seats. Thalia walked over to Dale, standing beside him, also seeing the view of cars.

"Fuck!" Thalia closed her eyes for a second, she looked at her youngest child. "Mommy did not just say a bad word."

Emma Kate played with her tongue with her small fingers, smiling cheekily towards her mom. "Yes she did."

Shane glanced at the little girl, there was no denying she was adorable. And he was happy to hear that she was talking.

Daryl turned his bike around, seeing a small way through for the RV.

Dale could see Daryl approaching back. "See a way through?"

KK laid her head against her dad's back. Daryl looked behind him once more, he nodded his head in a direction before circling his bike around once more.

Glenn glanced down at the map, unsure. "Uh, maybe we should just go back. There's an interstate bypass–"

"We can't spare the fuel." Thalia commented, also taking in the different routes from the map.

"Thalia's right. We definitely can't spare the fuel." Dale said, agreeing with the mother.

They drove threw the load of abandoned cars with caution. Thalia shook her head seeing how terrible the sight looked.

"Jeez." Glenn said, sighing to himself, referring to the crashed cars. "Can we get through here?"

Suddenly, the engine of the RV started sputtering. Thalia looked at Dale and Glenn incredulously.

"Spoke too soon, Glenn." Thalia said, placing a hand on Glenn's shoulder, shaking her head at the new cards they've been dealt.

Thalia grabbed Emma Kate, placing her on her hip before walking out of the RV.

"I said it. I said it a thousand times. Dead in the water."

Daryl stopped his motorbike, helping his kid get off of it first before getting off himself.

KK ran over to her mom, hugging her as a greeting. Thalia smiled at her oldest child, pulling her close to stand beside her.

"Problem, Dale?" Rick asked.

"Just the matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of–" Dale noticed Daryl digging through some of the cars for some type of supplies and food. "Okay that was dumb."

Daryl found a half eaten box of sweet and sour tarts, handing them to Emma Kate.

"If you can't find a radiator hose here–" Shane started to say.

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl finished for him, still rambling through some things.

"I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-Dog said, looking at each car likable to have tons of gas.

"Maybe some water." Carol said.

"Or food." Glenn commented.

"This is a graveyard." Lori said, taking in the fact that most of these cars have dead bodies in them. There was a pause of silence between everyone.

"You're right, it is a graveyard, but what other opportunities will we have to scavenge more supplies, food and water included." Thalia said, putting Emma Kate on her feet. Rick nodded at Thalia's comment, agreeing with her.

Lori shook her head at her husband. "Rick, I don't know how I feel about this."

"Alright. Alright. Here we go." T-Dog said, ready to start siphoning some gas from almost each car.

"Come on, y'all. Just look around. Gather what you can." Shane said, giving everyone the go to search for things they need.

KK looked over at Carl then at her mom. "Mom, I'm going to look for things with Carl."

Thalia nodded, "Take your sister with you?"

KK grabbed Emma Kate's small hand, making her way over to Carl.

Thalia walked over to Daryl, "you think that candy was still good?" She said, referring to the small box Daryl gave to their child.

"It was packed away, it expires next year. She'll be fine." Daryl reassured his ol' lady. Thalia nodded looking at small purple book-bag perfect for Emma. Daryl glanced at Thalia. "Need me to look for something?"

"Try to find some liquified medicine for kids, the girls hate taking pills. And maybe a couple of sippy cups, Emma's not too good at handing big water bottles."

Daryl nodded, he reached over to give Thalia's waist a small squeeze before walking off. It was his way of displaying public affection.

Thalia made her way over to a dark gray 2006 Honda Civic, it looked like it was in great shape, there was no dead body in it. Thalia opened the car door, seating in the driver's seat. She liked the way the car felt, she was definitely taking this with, whether the group liked it or not.

"Jackpot." Thalia whispered to herself. "If this person was anything like me, I would leave my spare keys...here." Thalia looked under the driver's seat to find a spare set of keys. "My lucky day? Or what?"

~•~

KK walked behind Carl, her sister holding on the the back of her shirt. They walked past a car with a dead man just sitting there. Carol covered up Sophia's eyes while telling the other kids not to look.

Carol held a nice looking red dress close to her body, a shy smile blossoming across her face. Lori was giving a slight look of disapproval.

"Ed never let me wear nice things like this. We're gonna need clothes."

Lori gave her a small nod, reaching into another car. She could see that the kids were roaming off just a little.

"Hey, Carl, always in my sight." Lori told her son.

"You too, Sophia." Carol said to her daughter.

"And don't think I haven't forgotten about you girls." Lori said to KK and Emma.

Carl and KK walked off with each other, looking for things to get into. Emma Kate grabbed Sophia's hand, pulling her towards a car that looked like it would have some toys in it.

Suddenly, Rick ran over to his wife with urgency. "Lori, under the cars!" He looked over to see the kids. "Kids, get down now."

KK's first instinct was to grab her little sister, which she did successfully. She then hurriedly got under a car, Carl following closely behind her.

Sophia got under a car by herself, her tears threatening to fall. The girl tried to be strong but her fear of death just might actually cost her the life she had to hold onto.

~•~

Thalia was looking into the trunk of a older looking model of a mini van. She was pleased with the few things she did find, like shorts for the girls, and this small looking kiddie tent she could set up for the girls. She was hoping to find a sewing kit so she could try this idea she had in mind for this new tent.

Just then, Thalia heard a large amount of shuffling of the feet about a yard or so away, she squinted her eyes to see Rick having the urgency stance to him.

Thalia knew what meant. She looked over her shoulder to see a large U-Haul truck, Thalia quickly jumped of the front of the truck, and hurriedly climbed on top of it, laying her body down. Trying her best not to draw attention to herself.

She could hear the moans and snarling as the herd slowly passed on by. The only thing she could think about was her kids and Daryl. Praying to the stars above that they are okay.

~•~

KK held Emma close to her, covering up her mouth just in case she wanted to cry or scream. This was not the time to risk what kind of reaction the four year old was going to have.

Carl scooted closer to KK, he didn't know if he was doing that out of fear or if it was the natural reaction boys have for girls. His icy blue eyes then looked over Sophia, he placed his finger over his mouth, signaling her to stay quiet.

"You're okay. Stay quiet." KK mouthed to Sophia.

Seconds felt like minutes. And minutes felt like hours.

The sounds of the shuffling seemed to die down, or at least that's what Sophia thought. She leaned out from other the car to only be seen by a walker, she scream attracted another walker. From under pressure and fear, Sophia quickly ran off into the woods.

Noticing there was a child in danger, Rick was the first one to ran after Sophia and the walkers.

Carol was the first from under the car, running towards the woods herself. But Lori stopped her from going.

"Lori, there's two walkers after my baby." Carol cried.

"I know. Shh." Lori said, trying to comfort the silver-haired lady.

Thalia made her way over to the group, taking in the looks of the hysterical Carol, she knew something bad had happened.

"Mommy." Emma Kate cried, running over to her mother. Thalia quickly picked her up, holding her closely to her while trying to soothe her cries. Thalia looked at KK. Not wanting to show too much emotion with the group around, KK gave her mom a small nod, telling her she was just fine.

Daryl ran over, with his crossbow on his shoulder. The very first things he did was make his way over to Thalia and his girls. Emma Kate didn't say anything, all she wanted was her daddy. Daryl took the small child from Thalia. "K, you alright?"

"Yeah, dad, I'm good."

Minutes later, Rick joined the group. But he was alone, no Sophia.

Carol began to cry harder on Lori's shoulder.

"Where's Sophia?" Rick asked the group, mainly Lori. It was obvious that he had seen her. Thalia looked at Daryl. "She's not back?"

Carol was now in a state where she was sobbing. Andrea made her way over to comfort her.

Thalia placed her hands on her hips. "Y'all have to go back out there to look for her." She said, looking at Rick and Daryl.

Daryl gave Emma Kate back to Thalia. Rick nodded at Thalia's words.

"Glenn. Shane. Daryl. I'll show y'all where I left her. Thalia, stay here and cover with Dale?"

"Of course." Thalia said.

The group of men disappeared into the woods. Thalia gave the group a once over. "Listen, stay close. Don't venture off too far in case another herd comes in like before. There's water over there. Get you some, continue to look for food."

Everyone ventured off to do what they needed to do. Their hearts breaking for Carol. Carol, of course, stayed in the same spot, waiting for the men to come back.

"Why aren't we all out looking? Why are we moving cars?" Carol asked Dale.

"We have to clear enough room so I can get the RV to turn around. We can double back now that we have the fuel, this bypass that Glenn spotted on the map."

"Going back is going to be easier than trying to get through this mess." Shane commented.

"We're not going anywhere 'till we get my daughter back."

"Hey, that goes without saying." Lori told the worried mother.

"Seeing that only Shane and Glenn came back, Rick and Daryl are on it. Okay? Now, Daryl is a tracker...he'll know what to do." Thalia said, stepping off the steps of the RV. "Now, everyone, let's get back to what we were doing so we can leave as soon as they get back."

Everyone listened to her. Shane gave Thalia an odd look. He pulled her to the side. "Look, I understand you having some type of authority because you're just as good at killing walkers like your boyfriend. But I don't need your help on keeping somebody calm."

Thalia scoffed before crossing her arms. "Back off, Shane. It's too hot outside for your bullshit."

~•~

It took Rick and Daryl an hour or so to come back, but once they did there was still no sign of Sophia.

Thalia took in their appearance, they were covered in fresh blood.

"You didn't find her?" Carol asked, she was holding back her panic attack but seeing that it's almost dark outside and there was no sign of her daughter she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Her trail went cold." Rick explained to her. "We'll pick it up again first light."

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend a night alone in the woods." Carol begged.

"Out in the dark's no good." Daryl tried to tell her. "We'll just be tripping over ourselves. More people will get lost."

"But she's 12. She can't be out there on her own. You didn't find anything?"

"I know this is hard. But I'm asking you not to panic. We know she was out there."

"We tracked her for a while." Daryl said.

"We have to make this an organized effort. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this."

Carol looked at Daryl, now spotting the fresh blood. "Is that blood?" Carol started breathing heavy.

"We took down a walker." Rick told her.

"A walker? Oh my God."

"There was no sign that it was ever near Sophia."

"How can you know that?" Andrea asked, not being too much help with trying to keep Carol calm.

Rick then looked at Daryl. "We cut the sum of a bitch open, made sure."

Carol sat down, closing her eyes. "Oh God."

Thalia walked over to Daryl giving him a sad smile. Daryl looked over her shoulders. "Where the girls?"

"In the RV, don't worry. Thanks for finding the things I asked for." Daryl hummed in response.

"How could you just leave her out there to begin with? How could you just leave her?" Carol asked Rick, needing someone to blame.

"Those two walkers were on us. I had to draw 'em off. It was her best chance."

"Sounds lie he didn't have much of a choice, Carol." Thalia said, not wanting Rick to catch the blame Carol was pointing.

"How was she supposed to find her way back on her own? She's just a child. She's just a child."

"It was my only option. The only choice I could make."

"I'm sure nobody doubts that." Shane said.

"My little girl got left in the woods."

Everyone got quiet, not knowing what to say or how to say what they were thinking. Thalia motioned Daryl to the RV, which he followed her.

"None of this is anyone's fault, I'm telling you now. I know how you get when you start to get passionate about something. And if we can't find her tomorrow, please, don't kill yourself trying to look for her. You understand me?"

"I know, Thally. That could have been one of our little girls. Shit, if it was Kacee I wouldn't be worried. But what if it was Emma?"

"I know, Daryl, but it ain't. It's not our little girl out there. I just don't want Carol pointing fingers at you if she's not found in the woods." Thalia explained, her eyes locked on his. Daryl nodded, quickly giving Thalia a kiss on the forehead before heading in the RV to check on his daughters.

Thalia sighed, hoping that tomorrow might be good for something.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~ [A/N]

I've been gone for a while, I know. I went back to add a few things and also change a few things. I hope you guys like the update! Can't wait for you to read the next chapter. leave some love and comments. Love you guys, bye!


	12. Chapter T W E L V E

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Twelve — Losing Faith

Rick laid out a set of various types of knives, from big to medium size.

"Everybody takes a weapon," Rick told them.

Unfortunately, Andrea was unsatisfied with the choice of weaponry for them. "These aren't the kind of weapons we need."

Thalia rolled her eyes, taking her place beside Daryl.

"What about the guns?" Andrea asked the men.

"We've been over that." Shane said as everyone started taking their knives of choice.

Thalia felt her youngest daughter wrap her arms around her leg. Looking down to see big brown eyes staring at her, Thalia smiled as she picked Emma Kate up setting her on her hip.

"Daryl, Thalia, Rick and I are carrying." Shane reminded the annoyed blonde. "We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles."

"It's not the trees I'm worried about."

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Shane stated to Andrea, explaining the danger in allowing untrained people to carry a gun. Not having anymore words to say, Andrea stayed quiet.

"The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side." Daryl announced his search plan to the group. "Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark."

Daryl walked off with Thalia following behind him. KK got off of the car she was sitting on and followed her parents.

"Stay quiet. Stay sharp." Rick reminded the group. "Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other."

"Everybody assemble your packs." Shane told everyone.

Rick was having a discussion with Dale, basically telling him to keep working on the RV so they can leave as soon as the fund Sophia. "And keep an eye on Carl while we're gone."

The soon to be twelve year old gave his parents a look of disbelief. "I'm going with you." Rick looked at his son, unsure what to say next. "You need people, right? To cover as much ground as possible. I could team up with Kacee, she's good with knives."

Rick groaned, not wanting to disappoint his son. Instead of saying anything, he looked to his wife. Lori shrugged.

"Your call. I can't always be the bad guy."

Dale looked between the parents and the group. "Well, he has all of you to look after him. If he sticks with the oldest Dixon, he should be fine. I'd say he's in good hands."

Rick paused for a moment, taking in the consideration of the thought of Carl leaving with them. Defeated by his own mind, Rick sighed. "Okay. Okay. But always within our sights, no exceptions."

Ricked then walked off to talk to some more people. Carl glanced at Dale, who winked at him. Carl looked ahead, a proud smirk on his face. He looked over to see his friend, Kacee Dixon, slipping a knife in her boot as she held on to her bigger knife. KK felt his eyes on her, so she looked over at him and smiled, giving him a small nod.

There moment was interrupted by an upset Andrea, who was yelling at Dale. Thalia shook her head, she felt bad that Dale had to endure to bratty wrath of Andrea. But then again, she thought that maybe Dale should have let Andrea make her choice. There's also another thought, Andrea wasn't in her right mind considering she just lost her sister.

After breaking Dale's heart, Andrea walked off with the group following behind her.

~••~

The group walked through the woods in silence, Daryl had the lead. Thalia followed behind him, and behind her was Rick.

"Shane, look! Mom said I can have it. Dad said I could carry it as long—" Carl tried to say excitedly to the man he's grown to know as Uncle Shane.

"Keep it down. We're looking for Sophia." Shane said sternly, cutting Carl's sentence short. "You need to focus on the task."

KK was standing next to Lori when she realized Carl wasn't beside her anymore. Lori and KK looked behind them, seeing how slow and confused Carl looked.

"Got to keep up." Lori told her son, sending a glare towards Shane.

"I am." Carl said to his mom.

"You okay?" Lori asked. KK kept her eyes forward, not wanting to intrude on the conversation Carl had with his mother.

"I think Shane's mad at me. Did I do something wrong?"

"No." Lori replied quickly. "No, honey, I promise you." Lori glanced back at Shane. "He's just-he's just worried about Sophia, that's all." Carl nodded, understanding the "worry" Shane had for Sophia.

KK looked at Carl, making her way beside him. Nudging his arm to get him to look at her. Once he did, she gave him a small smile, just to let him know that she was there. Carl appreciated the small things KK did, that's what made her his best friend.

~••~

It was moments later when the group came across a tent. The tent was big enough and secure enough for Sophia to be held up in there.

Daryl was first to notice it, he held up his finger that signaled Thalia to stop for a moment. Once she stopped, the people behind her did as well. Thalia motioned for Rick to get in front of her so he could get a better look at the tent.

"She could be in there." Shane whispered once he made his way beside Thalia. Thalia placed her youngest daughter on her feet, telling her to go stand by Glenn.

"There's a lot of things that could be in there." Daryl said, inching forward towards the tent. Rick told everyone to stay behind while they checked it out.

The small group of men and Thalia made their way over to the yellow, blue tent. Daryl gave them a look, pointing his finger up and over, telling them that he's going to over check things out.

Daryl looked around the tent, not really seeing any signs of a walker. He looked over to Rick, Shane, and Thalia, he shrugged. Rick nodded.

"Carol," Rick called the worried mother over. "Call out softly. If she's in there, yours is the first voice she needs to hear."

Carol called out to her daughter, softly. "Sophia, sweetie, are you in there? It's mommy. Sophia, we're all here baby. It's mommy."

Rick told Carol to wait beside Thalia and Shane as he walked up to where Daryl was standing.

Daryl began to unzip the tent slowly, not wanting to stir up too much noise. Once he opened it, an ungodly stench erupted, causing him and Rick to cough and gag.

Daryl went inside the tent, just to see if the deceased person had any weapons or supplies they could take.

"Daryl?" Carol asked out loud, so he could hear her from where she was.

"Daryl?" Thalia asked, realizing he was taking too much time inside the tent.

Daryl came out of the tent, finally being able to breathe again. "It ain't her."

The look of disappointment spreader across Carol's face.

"What's in there?" Andrea asked.

"Some guy." Daryl told her. "Did what Jenner said. Opted out. Ain't that what he called it?"

Suddenly church bells started to ring, no one really knew where it was coming from since it echoed through the wind. Thalia knew though, without asking questions she took off with the group following behind her.

"Which direction?" Rick asked Thalia. She paused for a moment, before taking off once again.

The group reach a church, Thalia didn't understand how it could be the church that they were looking for but her hearing led her here.

"That can't be it. Got not steeple, no bells." Shane told Rick. The unofficial "leader" of the group looked at Thalia, he trusted her judgment so he inched forward as soon as she did. "Rick."

Thalia ran over to the door, moments later joined by Shane, Rick, and Daryl. Rick gave Thalia the lead to open the door, so she did. Only to be seen by four walkers.

Thalia had gotten her throwing knife ready. Daryl aimed his crossbow at them. Rick and Shane had gotten their machetes ready.

KK gave her knife to her father as he passed her his crossbow.

Rick walked over to the walker in overalls, colliding his machete to his head. Shane walked over to the walker in fishing gear, easily sliding his knife through its head.

Daryl caught his walker's attention by making kissing noises. He quickly slid KK's knife across the walker's face, killing it instantly.

Thalia looked at all the men, smiling at all the energy they were using to kill one walker. That's when she noticed her walker, a preacher man limping over to Shane.

"Shane!" Thalia yelled, getting his attention. "Duck." He listened to her. Thalia quickly threw her weapon. The knife had so much force to it that it went through the walker's head and landed on the preaching podium.

"Damn." Shane whispered to himself before landing his eyes on Thalia, who walked pass him to get her knife.

"Sophia!" Rick shouted out, a small piece of him hoping that she would be in the church hiding somewhere.

Daryl walked over to the statue of Jesus. "Yo, JC, you taking requests?"

"His hands are tied." Thalia commented, standing beside her lover. She glanced at Daryl. "Kissing noises, really?"

"What? You jealous?" Daryl asked her harshly, but then gave her a smirk just to let her know he was kidding.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You wish." She replied playfully.

"I'm telling you, it's the wrong church. It's got no steeple, man." Shane said to his friend. "There's no steeple."

Suddenly, the ringing happened again. It was so loud that Thalia knew for a fact that this was the church.

Daryl and Thalia quickly ran outside and went to the side of the church, just to find out that it was a recording that looped over and over.

Glenn walked over to disabled the noise while holding the youngest Dixon in his arms.

"A timer. It's on a timer." Daryl said out of breath.

"I'm gonna go back in for a bit." Carol announced to everyone before going back inside the church.

Suddenly there was the sound of a gun clicking, they all looked over to see a woman pointing a gun at them. She also had a younger boy, who looked as if he was in his late teens, with her. "Are you people trying to get us all killed?"

That voice. The slight French accent was so familiar to Thalia. She passed the men, and walked forward. Seeing Thalia, the woman lowered her gun.

"Thalia?" The woman asked, the crack in her voice heard by everyone. The boy behind her shook his head with a small smile, not believing his eyes.

KK blinked once more before standing beside her mother. "Aunt Rose? Cousin Jaxon?"

KK saying their names confirmed everything. The woman, known as Aunt Rose to everyone else, ran over to Thalia pulling her into a tight hug. The boy and KK shared a long hug as well.

"Aunt Prose!" Emma Kate screamed excitedly, pulling herself out of Glenn's arms and running over to the reunited family.

The group that remained outside was confused, including Daryl.

Thalia pulled away from her sister, "How? I thought you two were still in France?"

"The night everything went to hell, we were just landing. I was on my way to your house when the traffic jam happened. And when I find ally made it to your house, you were gone. So, Jaxon and I stayed out at your house for a while before getting the courage to leave. We've been roaming these woods for a while."

Hearing that they've been out and about in the woods for a certain amount of time, Rick decided to ask the question everyone wanted to know. "Have you by any chance seen a little girl?"

Aunt Rose looked over to the group with uncertainty. Thalia assured her that her group was safe. "Everyone this is my sister, Primrose. You can call her Prim or Rose." Everyone gave the woman a soft smile.

"And this is my son, Jaxon." Prim told the group, pointing at her son. "To answer your question, no. We have not seen a little girl out and about. I'm sorry."

The group sighed, they disbanded for a few moments to take in their newly found information.

Thalia looked at his sister once more. "I can't believe this. I can't believe I'm seeing you again!"

Prim pulled her sister into another hug. Prim looked up to see a man staring at them. He had a serious look, rugged, and very dirty. "Lia, that guy from your group is staring at us."

Thalia turned around to see Daryl giving her a hard look. Thalia gave him a small smile. "You need to meet him."

"Why?"

"Because that's Daryl."

Prim's eyes widen. "That's Daryl? The Daryl? The one that left you for his brother?"

Thalia sighed and gave her sister a disappointed look. "Don't start. Things are different now. Give him a chance."

Thalia picked up her four year old daughter and walked over to Daryl with her family close behind her. Emma Kate reached her small arms over to Daryl. Daryl grabbed his child from Thalia, holding the little girl close to his chest.

"Daryl, this my sister Primrose. And her son, my nephew, Jaxon." Thalia introduced them. "Guys, this is Daryl. Kacee and Emma Kate's father."

"Nice to finally meet you, Daryl. I've heard a lot about you." Primrose said to him as kindly as she knew how.

Daryl nodded at her, it was his way of showing her a bit of kindness considering she was the sister of his ol' lady.

"Thanks for taking care of my cousins. They mean a lot to me and my mom." Jaxon thanked the man he knew as Daryl. Daryl grunted at him in response before mumbling "no problem". Daryl put Emma on her feet before walking off.

Thalia watched him leave, wondering what was wrong with him. "Look, you guys sit and chat with the girls...I'm going to go talk to Daryl."

"Did I say something wrong?" Prim asked as her sister passed by. Thalia shook her head before walking off after Daryl.

"Look Aunt Prose!" Emma Kate said, holding up a flower she just picked off the ground. Prim looked at her nieces, smiling at how big they've grown since she's last seen them.

~••~

"Daryl. Hey, Daryl." Thalia called out to him, causing him to stop before turning around to face her.

"What?" Daryl asked, his crossbow on his shoulders.

"Something's wrong. You mind telling me?"

Daryl sighed. "Ain't nothing wrong, Thalia. Go on over to your sister and nephew."

Thalia crossed her arms, giving Daryl a solid look. "No. As soon as I realized my sister was the one pointing a gun at the group your whole body language changed. I don't get it."

"It's just, uh, I ain't good at meetings families. I barely like to talk to people as it is."

Thalia let out a relieved sigh. "So, you don't hate that I have my sister back?"

"What? Hell no. I'm glad that you have your kin back. I'm just not good at meeting people is all."

Thalia made her way over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I don't expect you to be sociable when it comes to my family, but I do expect you to play nice."

Thalia gave him a quick peck on the lips. Daryl gave her a small smile. "I always play nice. They apart of the group now?"

"I don't know. I'm going to have to talk to Rick. I do think my sister could be valuable to the group and I'm not saying that because she's related to me. She was a fashion designer so she'll know how to re intact clothing, she'll also know how to get blood stains out completely."

"Sounds pretty valuable to me." Daryl told her. Thalia nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, all I need to do is convince Rick."

It didn't take long to convince Rick. Everyone seemed okay with having new members that can also take care of themselves, plus it was two more sets of eyes looking for Sophia. The only person who had a problem with it was Shane but Prim quickly put him in his place.

"We don't know this people! We can't just let them into our group. That's extra mouths to feed."

"For your information, my son and I can take care of ourselves. We have been this whole time. But from the looks of it, you all have a little girl out there that needs help getting found. Jaxon and I have food and drinks in our bag to offer this group. Do what you have to, but I refuse to leave my sister and nieces behind." Prim stated to the ex cop, sassily. Primrose has always been the type of woman that never took any type of shit from anyone. And wasn't going to start today.

"If Thalia and my kids go, I go." Daryl told Rick, referring to the fact that if Prim and her son was denied by the group Thalia and the girls would leave with them.

Really not wanting to lose two big aspects to the group, Rick nodded. "I don't see the problem with it. Thalia knows you all. And I trust Thalia's judgement." Thalia gave Rick a thankful smile.

"Thank you, Rick. I really appreciate it."

Rick nodded before making his way back into the church.

KK stood beside her cousin, she then glanced over at Carl. KK grabbed her cousin's hand, pulling him over to Carl.

"Hey, Carl," KK said, standing in front of him.

"Yeah?"

"This is my cousin, Jaxon. Jaxon, this is my best friend, Carl."

Jaxon smiled widely at the kid in front of him. "What's up, little buddy?" Taking in his grin and attitude, Carl gave the guy and friendly smile.

"Hey. Nice to meet you."

~••~

After finishing his conversation with Andrea, Shane walked over to his "best" friend. "Gotta move here, man. These people are spent. There's only hours of daylight left. We still got a long way back."

"I can't stop yet." Rick told him.

"We still got a lot of ground to cover, whole other side of the creek bed. So we search that on the way back."

"She would have heard those church bells. She could be nearby."

Shane shook his head. "She could be a lot of things."

"I can't go back. Her being out here is my fault."

Shane snorted, unamused. "That's great. Now they got you doubting yourself, huh?"

"What about you? You doubt me?"

"Hey, we can assign all kinds of blame."

Rick shifted on his feet. "This means something, finding her."

"Oh, man."

"It would be the miracle we need. We can't give up."

Shane sighed before patting Rick on the shoulder. "Ahem." Shane sounded, getting everyone's attention. "Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back. Okay, Daryl and Thalia, you two are in charge. Me and Rick, we're just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so, just to be thorough."

"You splitting us up." Daryl said.

"You sure?" Thalia asked from her spot beside Daryl.

"Yeah, we'll catch up to you." Shane told them.

"I want to stay, too." Carl said. "I'm her friend." Shane and Rick looked at each other, not either of them saying a word. Lori gave both the men a slight glare, knowing that they her with the decision. To their surprise, she let him.

"Just be careful, okay?" Lori told her son, touching his head.

"I will."

Lori placed her hands on Carl's cheeks, smiling proudly at him. "When did you start growing up?"

Rick walked over to Lori, giving her a quick kiss before hugging her. "I'll be home soon enough."

Everyone was ready to go their separate ways before KK decided to speak up. "I'm staying too."

"The hell you are." Daryl said to his oldest daughter. KK rolled her eyes just as she crossed her arms.

"Carl's my best friend, wherever he goes...I go." KK announced to her parents. Carl gave her a proud smile. Thalia watched her child, never hearings say something like about anyone other than family. Thalia thought for a moment before glancing at Daryl.

"Rick, you mind?" Thalia asked.

"You'll need the extra man power." KK said, flipping her knife in her hand, showing off. Rick admired the strong mind KK had, knowing that she got it from her parents. He knew that she'd be fine, he didn't have any worries.

"No, I don't mind."

KK smiled majestically, having to feel a tad bit independent without real parental guidance felt new to her. In a way, she kind of liked it.

"Listen, hug your family before leaving." Thalia told her. KK quickly gave her mother a hug and kiss before moving on to her sister and cousins. Then she quickly hugged her Aunt Prim before finally landed in front of her father.

"Be careful out there, Kacee. I mean it. Here, take this," Daryl said, handing her his prized hunting knife. "Won't hurt you to have two knives. This one here is my favorites. Bring it back to me."

KK looked up at her father, grinning at his fatherly gesture. She wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a tight squeeze. Daryl has never been a fan of being touched but when it came to Thalia and his kids, he didn't mind it. He hugged his girl back.

KK then ran over to Carl, ready to leave to help find Sophia.

"Here, take this, you remember how to use it?" Rick said, trying to hand his wife his only gun.

Lori shook her head. "I'm not takin' your gun and leavin' you unarmed."

"Here, I got a spare. Take it." Daryl said, handing her the gun he found in that lost tent earlier.

Lori took that gun, which didn't go unnoticed by Andrea, who started to eye the woman with jealous.

The group then went their separate ways.

"Give me a minute?" Rick asked Shane before walking over to the church. Shane agreed, while leading KK and Carl to sit on the steps.

Moments later, Rick walked out.

"Get what you needed?" Shane asked.

"Guess we'll find out," was Rick's reply.

~••~

Daryl and Thalia were leading the group back the interstate.

"So this is it?" Carol asked. "This the whole plan?" Carol sat on the log, letting everyone know she was tired of walking and needed a quick break.

"I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups." Daryl said.

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks," Andrea said with distaste. Prim looked over to her sister, raising her eyebrow, silently commenting on Andrea's attitude. Thalia rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I see you two girls have a gun." Andrea was not only making a jab at Lori but also at Prim.

"Excuse me?" Prim asked.

"Why didn't Rick or Shane take your gun? You apart of this group now, right?" Andrea asked, one hand on her hip.

"I'm trained to use one, that's why. Don't let my pretty face fool you." Prim said, balling her fist. Jaxon reached over to touch his mom's shoulder, telling her to calm down.

"You want my gun?" Lori asked, reaching for the spare gun Daryl gave her. "Take it. I'm sick of the looks you're giving me." Not wanting to truly look like a bitch, Andrea took it. "All of you."

Thalia rolled her eyes at the scene in front of her. "Here we go." Daryl glanced at her, giving her a sly smirk.

Lori looked at Carol. "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through. And I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick."

"Amen." Thalia whispered to herself, shifting on her feet.

"It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don't know if any of us would have gone after her the way he did or made the hard decisions he made to make or if anybody could have done it any differently." Lori's gaze left Carol. "Anybody?"

Lori looked at everyone, including the new people. She even looked at Emma Kate, the poor child didn't really understand what Lori was talking about.

"Y'all look to him and them blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, then go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you."

Seconds later, Andrea handed Lori back her gun.

"We should keep moving." Andrea said.

"First smart thing you've said all day, congratulations." Thalia commented before walking off with a tired Emma Kate in her arms.

~••~

Carl and KK walked side by side with Shane and Rick behind them.

Suddenly, branches started to snap. KK stopped walking, along with Carl. Rick got in front of the children, easing forward. Readily KK pulled out her knife just as the two men did.

Together, they all moved forward.

Only to see if was a Deer, munching on some leaves.

Carl and KK looked at each other. Smiling at the animal.

Rick smiled to himself. KK and Carl both stepped in front of Rick. Shane had his gun trained on the animal, ready to shoot it. "Shane."

Rick nodded at the children and their eager to approach the animal. KK have seen a live deer before, and was able to touch the day she did. So, this wasn't new to her, but to see the excitement on Carl's face was more than enough joy for her.

Carl walked towards it slow and unsure. He looked over to his friend, asking her to take the lead. KK shook her head playfully before slowly walking ahead of Carl.

Carl watched his friend walk in front of him. She looked back at him and smiled.

Behind her, Carl stepped on a branch, causing the Deer to look their way. The kids waited a second before moving again. KK was so close to the animal, she could almost touch it. Carl hung back a few feet, just to make sure it was safe for him to get that close as well.

Suddenly there was a gunshot the rung through the woods. Carl watched his friend fall down, not knowing that half of a second later he'd fall down as well.

Shane and Rick looked at the scene, not sure if they were seeing right.

"No. No. No." Rick shouted. "No. No. No! No!" The adults made their way to each child. Rick over his son. And Shane over KK.

Rick still couldn't believe what just happened.

Carl and KK got shot.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~ [A/N]

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was fun to writer! So happy to introduce two out of three original characters for season two!

Be sure to leave a comment. I'd like to know what you guys are thinking about!

OC characters:

Paula Patton as Primrose Bonnet

Rashon Fegan as Jaxon Bonnet


	13. Chapter T H I R T E E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

Please excuse my grammar and spelling errors, I try to catch them before posting.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Chapter Thirteen — Praying To See A New Day

~February 23, 2007 (approximately 8:12 a.m. HOUSE OF THALIA CARTER)~

"KK, make sure you have your homework in your book bag before leaving. Mrs. Rain should be here any minute." Thalia said as she buttoned the onesie on her second daughter, Emma Kate.

"I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you and Emma." KK said. It's been a week since the newest addition of the family was able to come home, considering the fact that she's a premmie who was born two months early. Ever since the day she witnessed her baby sister in a incubator with tubes all around her small frame, Kacee Dixon made it her duty to always be there for her.

Thalia shook her head as she cradled the small baby in her arms, "Kacee, you were out of class all last week. You can't be skipping school. Your aunt pays for you to go to school there."

"I wish it was a public school. I hate these uniforms." The oldest Dixon commented while tugging on her school branded jacket.

Thalia sent her child an amused grin. "The only time you'll be able to not wear uniforms is when you're in high school."

"How long do I got?"

Thalia started bouncing her fussy baby before chuckling, "you've got quite a bit, my little minnow."

Suddenly her house phone started ringing, looking at the caller ID, Thalia answered. "Hello? Juliet, did you pack up the jewelry? Listen, this project means a lot to me. I'm opening the jewelry shop because flowers aren't in, this season. Okay, I'll be at the shop in a few hours. You forget that I have a three month old baby. Yes, I've been up all night. I have to go. See you soon. Bye."

"Mom, did you really pack leftover meatloaf in my lunch?" KK asked, frowning at the small container in her lunchbox.

"You know, there are people in china that would love that meatloaf." Thalia said, placing her baby in a bassinet that was located in the living room.

"Can I mail it to them?" KK mumbled. Just as she was passing by, Thalia pinched her daughter. "Ow."

"Don't be a brat."

There was a sound of a horn outside of Thalia's house. "That should be Mrs. Rain. Okay, give me a kiss."

KK hugged her mom before placing a kiss on her cheeks. "See you later mom."

Thalia led her daughter out the door, waving at Mrs. Rain and her son. "KK, have fun today! I love you."

"I love you too, mom."

Thalia smiled at herself, watching her oldest daughter leave for school. "God, that girl is so much like her daddy."

~••~

The house phone started to ring once again, Thalia rolled her eyes, already knowing who was calling her before answering the phone. "Did you go by Ann's place? You have to pick up that certain color. It's in season, that's why."

Hearing fits of crying in the other room, Thalia rushed over to baby Emma Kate to cradle her in her arms. "Juliet, if you need me to go with you then okay. But it has to be later, I'm going to attempt to take a nap today. Haha, very funny. I'm hanging up the phone. See you later, Juliet."

The young mother looked down at her baby who was already staring up at her. "Your mommy is a busy lady. But I'll always have time to cuddle you."

Thalia sighed before sitting on the couch, her baby quiet in her arms.

"You know, I never wanted you guys to be fatherless. And the only reason why I'm saying this is because you can't say anything back to me. You probably won't remember this conversation, which is a good thing. I wanted to find your father. I wanted to let him know that he has two beautiful little girls...but I couldn't. I can't. Maybe one day things will be different. Maybe one day...you'll meet your daddy."

Just then, there was a solid knock at her door. Thalia scoffed with amusement. "Really, you had to make a house visit, Juliet—"

Thalia's sentence was cut short when she opened her door to see a police officer on her front porch.

"Can I help you with something, officer?" Thalia said as she shifted on her feet while holding baby Emma. The young mother felt something was really wrong in the pit of her stomach.

"Ms. Carter, there's been an accident."

"Excuse me?"

"There was a car accident. Your daughter...Kacee Dixon, she's been hurt."

Thalia felt her heart sink. The type of news she was receiving of her child well being was something she never thought she'd hear. "Wh–where is she?"

The police officer couldn't look the hurt woman in the eyes, her devastation was hard look past. "She's at the nearest hospital. I don't know about her condition, but I know she's been injured."

Without asking anymore questions, Thalia packed up her baby bag for Emma Kate, placed the infant in her carrier and headed straight to the hospital.

~••~

Walking past several nurses with urgency swimming through her veins. Thalia placed the carrier that was holding the youngest Dixon on the front desk, forcing the nurse that was working there to look up.

"Need help ma'am?"

"My daughter was admitted through the emergency office. Her name is Kacee Kai Dixon, she's eight years old. Born in November of '98."

The nurse nodded before pulling up a screen. "Type in her social security number, please."

Thalia rolled her eyes, she felt like she didn't have time for the formalities and rules the hospital had to abide by. Quickly typing in her child's number, Thalia gave the nurses a look. "Where's my daughter?"

"She's in the E building, they haven't gotten her a room."

That information was enough for Thalia, she grabbed her baby and her things before taking off to the "E" building.

Pushing through people, Thalia made it to her destination. The young mother felt like she was being ignored when no one at the front desk of the "E" building didn't take in her presence.

"Hello? Excuse me, I'm looking for my daughter, my child. She was admitted here about an hour ago. I need to see her."

"No ones allowed to see anyone at the moment." A nurse of Asian descent said, closing a folder she had in her hands.

Thalia felt a load of angry form over her body. "Unless my kid is no where to be found, I will see her. And I mean now, dammit!"

"Mom?"

The sound of her daughter's voice, caused Thalia to turn her head so fast that she might have had whiplash. Thalia could see her child on a bench with a cast on her arm, a bandaid on her eyebrow, and several drops of blood on his shirt. The young mother didn't waste anytime walking over to KK.

"Are you okay?!" Thalia asked, giving her child a quick once over as soon as she set Emma's carrier down.

"I'm fine. Tyler's fine. But I'm not sure if Mrs. Rain is fine though."

Thalia closed her eyes for a moment, thanking the heavens above for bringing her daughter safe bringing.

"I was so worried about you." Thalia told her oldest daughter as the tears in her eyes was threatening to fall. KK leaned her forehead against her mom's.

"I know."

Thalia smiled before sniffing. "How'd you know?"

"You showed up here pretty fast. It usually takes you forty minutes because you have to get Emma ready as well."

Thalia chuckled softly, agreeing with the information KK just told her. "I didn't realize I take so long."

There was a moment of silence between the mother and child. "Mama?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"You think we can get this blood out of my shirt?" KK asked, pulling back her jacket just a little to show her mom more blood. Thalia nodded slowly.

"Yeah, baby, I think we can get the blood out."

It was later discovered that Kacee placed her arm in front of Tyler at the time of the accident, stopping the impact from hurting him too much or potentially killing him. Kacee was the only one who was injured in the time of the accident.

In that moment, Thalia knew that whatever happened...Kacee Dixon would know how to get through it. She's one tough cookie.

~THE THIRD WEEK OF MAY, 2010 (After Outbreak)~

Rick was panting, trying really hard to keep up with his breathing. He held his son's what seems to be lifeless body. Rick turned around quickly just to make sure Shane was close behind him with the daughter of Thalia Carter and Daryl Dixon in his arms.

Luckily, Shane was doing a good job making sure the overweight fella, who was responsible for the shootings of two children, was able to keep up.

"Come on." Rick grunted, readjusting Carl's body, apparently it was hard holding up his dead weight.

Shane didn't have any problem with holding KK, he thought she was as light as a feather. He held the Dixon over his shoulder while his other shoulder held bags and weapons.

"Hey, you move, shithead. Come on! Get, I said." Shane yelled at the overweight man, giving him some harsh "motivation" to keep up with them.

Rick grew impatient, there were two kids bleeding out. "How far?! How far?!"

"Another half mile, that way." The man pointed to a straight direction, Shane and Rick took off. "Hershel. Talk to Hershel. He'll help your kids." Leaving the man to slowly follow behind as he tried to catch his breath.

"Come on! Keep up!" Shane yelled to the man behind him.

~••~

Hoping to enjoy the sunset, a girl with short brown hair sat on her front porch. Then, she noticed something far ahead, a first she thought it was one of those "sick" people but she quickly realized that this...person...was moving way too fast.

She pulled out her binoculars, only to see two men with children in their arms. Not knowing what to do, she called out for her father. "Dad!"

The man didn't take long to walk out of his home, followed by what seems to be like a crowd full of people.

Shane and Rick were gasping for air as they approached the house.

"Were they bit?" The older man asked the two former cops.

"Shot." Rick answered.

"By your man." Shane said, dropping the bags and holding KK properly.

"Otis?" An older woman with blonde hair and old fashioned clothing asked.

"He said find Hershel. Is that you?" Rick asked, everyone could hear the urgency and desperation in his voice. "Help them. Help me. Help my boy. Help the little girl."

"Get them inside." Hershel told the two men, who were each carrying an unconscious child.

Not being told twice, the two men walked in behind the older gentleman, known as Hershel.

"Patricia. I need my full kit." Hershel told the woman with blonde hair. "Maggie."

"Yeah?" The girl who spotted Rick and Shane asked.

"Painkillers. Coagulates. Grab everything." Hershel ordered. Maggie didn't waste any time, she wanted to help those kids more than anything. "Clean towels. Sheets. Alcohol."

"In here." Hershel motioned the men. "Lay them down beside each other. We'll send her into a different room after we're done."

Rick and Shane did what they were told to do and laid they kids beside each other.

"Pillowcase." Hershel said, making note to himself that the kids need to be on a padded flat surface.

"Are-are they alive?" Rick stuttered, his eyes never leaving his son's features. He would even glance over to the girl beside his son, he couldn't help but think about the wrath of Thalia...and Daryl as well.

"Pillowcase, quick." Hershel told his helpers, Rick, and Shane. Rick was started to get delirious. He quickly grabbed a pillowcase. "Fold it. Make a pad. Put pressure on the womb."

Rick and Shane did that, with each child. Hershel quickly looked for a heartbeat from each child.

"You hear anything, doc?" Shane asked.

"I've got a heartbeat on the little girl. Keep pressure on her womb." Hershel moved over to Carl, after a few moments he let out a relieved sigh. "He's got a heartbeat."

"It's faint," the doctor said.

"I got it, step back." Patricia told Rick, moving in on Carl to create more pressure. Another girl, who seemed to be the youngest in the room other than Carl and KK, stepped in for KK.

"Maggie. IV for them both. We have to move this little girl in another room so they can both have the space they need."

"We need some space." Maggie told Rick as she walked past him.

"Your names?" Hershel asked the two men.

"Rick."

"And I'm Shane."

"Rick?" Hershel asked.

"I'm–I'm Rick."

"Rick. Shane. We gonna do everything we can. Okay?" Hershel said to the worried men in the room. "You need to give us some room." Rick hesitated. He didn't want to leave his son or KK in a room with people he didn't really know but then again they're trying to help these kids. "Now, Rick."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The overweight man, known as Otis, yelled as he finally caught up to the house.

Shane frowned before walking outside, Rick following behind him. Otis was gasping for his life, since running that far wasn't something he normally did. "They alive? The kids still alive?"

Rick look disturbed, not really saying any words. He wiped his bloody hand across his forehead, leaving a blood stain.

"It's going to be okay, Rick," Shane said before pulling out a rag and wiping the blood of of Rick's forehead. "You've got blood, man."

"Where are they? Where are they? Will they be okay?" Otis asked the men. Rick didn't say anything, he just walked back into the house. Hoping and praying for a miracle.

~••~

The group was still making their way back to the interstate. But something was still bothering Lori, hearing the gunshot got something inside of her stirred up. Lori turned around once again.

Thalia was holding a tired Emma Kate in her arms, she turned around to see Lori staring out in the distance. Walking to her friend, Thalia spoke.

"What's on your mind?" Thalia asked. Lori shook her head before looking at Thalia.

"That gunshot."

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked, now stopping everyone from walking on.

"It was a gunshot." Lori said, mostly to herself.

"We all heard it." Daryl commented, it was his way of letting Lori know she wasn't going crazy.

"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" Lori asked.

"She has a point." Thalia said, readjusting Emma Kate on her hip. "Why just one gunshot? It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe they took down a walker." Thalia's sister, Primrose, said to both worried mothers.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Don't patronize us, Prim."

"You all know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to take down just one walker." Lori said.

"They'd do it quietly." Thalia said, now looking backwards to where the gunshot was heard.

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked, quietly suggesting something could have gone wrong. It was not really helping Thalia or Lori since they both had a child out and about.

"They should be us by now." Thalia said, looking at Daryl.

Her lover sighed, not really seeing why everyone was getting all worked up. "There's nothing we can do about it now. Can't run around in the woods chasing echoes."

"So, what do we do?" Lori asked, growing impatient.

"Same as we've been." Daryl answered. "Beat the bush for Sophia. Work our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." Andrea commented, agreeing with Daryl.

Thalia and Lori looked at each other, silently agreeing to let it go as they caught up with the group.

Andrea stared at Carol for a moment, "I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel."

"I suppose you do. Thank you." Carol paused for a moment, the tears threatening to come out once again. "The thought of her out here by herself...it's the not knowing that's killing me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy." Hearing her sister's name, Andrea froze. Realizing what she just said, Carol felt bad. "Oh. God. That's the worst thing I've ever said."

Andrea shook her head, trying really hard to dismiss Carol's insensitive behavior. "We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth."

Daryl walked over to the women, clearly having enough of the depressing talk. "I'll tell you what it's worth, not a damn thing."

"Daryl–" Thalia started to say, hoping that he'd calm down and be a tad bit nicer to them.

"It's a waste of time all this hoping and praying. 'Cause we're locate that little girl, and she'll be just fine." Daryl turned to his girlfriend before scoffing. "Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord!"

Daryl walked off, passing his girl and Lori. The women looked at each other before smiling. Allowing the rest of the group to walk before them as they lingered towards the back.

"That's a nice thing you said to them," Prim said to Daryl, walking beside him. They were a little ahead of everybody, it was the first Daryl really acknowledged the sister of his lady.

"Don't mean nothing, everyone just needs to chill the fuck out."

"I don't know, Daryl." Prim said, with a amused smile on her face. "Maybe. Just, maybe...I was wrong about you."

Before Daryl could say anything else, Prim walked ahead of him. Jaxon caught up beside Daryl, "don't worry, she's not really as harsh and blunt as she makes herself to be."

Daryl grunted at the kid, watching him caught up to his mother.

Daryl looked back to see Thalia and Lori lingering towards the back, the women kept turning around. The gesture let Daryl know that they were still worrying about it.

Little did Thalia know, Daryl couldn't stop thinking about his little girl out there. And hearing that gunshot was helping that feeling deep down in the pit of his stomach.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~ [A/N]

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was more of a filler chapter but I'm sorry that shit is going to go down in the next one! Stay tuned! xx

Also, be sure to leave a comment. I love reading them.


	14. Chapter F O U R T E E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

Please excuse my grammar and spelling errors, I try to catch them before posting.

Chapter Fourteen — Just Breathe

~November 5th, 2006 (approximately 5:46 p.m.)~

Thalia placed the plate of chicken, peas, and mashed potatoes in front of her daughter, Kacee.

"So, you invited everyone to my party, right?" Kacee asked, referring to her classmates and neighbors kids.

Thalia nodded, making her way back to the stove. "Yes, I invited everyone."

"Comic book characters gonna be there?" Kacee asked as she took a bite out of her chicken.

Thalia nodded again, "that's the plan." Just then, Thalia felt a sharp kick coming from her blooming belly. "Ssst."

Alerted from the sound of pain, KK looked up at her mom. "What's wrong?"

"Your baby brother or sister is trying to tell me they want to play soccer for living." The mother said with a strained smile. After a moment the pain ceased, not really bothering her at all. Thalia's eyes shifted over to the bills that were piling up pretty fast. Closing her eyes for a moment, Thalia remembered that she needed to write out checks and sign paperwork for recent medical visits.

"I still hope it's a girl." KK mentioned to her mom.

"Right. At this point, as long as the baby's healthy...I could care less about the gender." Thalia said before taking her seat beside KK. "Kacee, pass me my purse."

Doing what her mother asked, KK reached over beside her for the medium sized black purse. "Mom, why can't you wait until later to do all this stuff."

"Because mommy doesn't want to worry about this later, I actually want to get some sleep tonight."

KK nodded, putting most of her attention to eating all of her food. "Is there anymore pie left?"

"Yeah, I'll cut you a slice after you finish your food." Thalia replied sweetly as she writes out another check. There was a moment of silence between mother and daughter, suddenly a ring from Thalia's house phone howled through the house.

Thalia got up from her seat and made her way to the phone, answering it. "Hello? Yes, I paid for three comic book characters. What? Can't you hire someone else? Listen, porky, I've been planning this birthday party for three goddamn months! No, you chill out. Either I get what I want or I want my money back, you hear me?!"

KK watched her mother get riled up before slamming the phone down, disconnecting herself from the person on the phone.

"Asshole," Thalia whispered, referring to the guy she was just having a conversation with, the bastard was trying to cheat her out of her money.

"You okay, momma?"

Thalia heard her child's soft voice behind her, usually Kacee's voice would be loud and vibrant with a hint of sarcasm, it was moment's like this that Thalia knew KK was just as soft and sensitive as her.

"I'm fine, I promise. Why don't you get ready for a bath while I cut you a slice of pie?"

KK didn't utter a word, she nodded before heading to her room to find a pair of pajamas to put on after her bath.

Thalia sighed to herself, all she wanted was a moment of peace. Nothing was Kacee's fault, she's been great. The reality of being a single mother was hitting her harder than it has in the past.

Unexpectedly, there was a sharper pain coming from Thalia's lower abdomen. "Ssst. Shit." Thalia groaned, hoping that she wasn't feeling what she think she was. A contraction? Not this early. Thalia wanted to brush the feeling off, hoping that it was a small case of Braxton Hicks.

But that was until she noticed the massive drops of blood coming from between her legs. "Oh my God!"

The young mother reached for her phone, but the pain of another contraction stopped her from doing so. Crying out in pain, she sat down, not knowing how to move, almost forgetting how to breathe.

"Mom, please tell me you washed my X-Men jammies?" KK asked as she made her way back to the kitchen, only to be horrified at the sight she was looking at. "Mom?!"

"KK, baby, I need you to call someone. Anybody."

Kacee didn't waste not a single second. She was determined to get her mother some help.

KK paced back and forth on the floor of the hospital walls. Her mother, Thalia, have been in the delivery room for what felt like hours.

"Hey, kid," Juliet, Thalia's assistant, said, getting KK's attention. "Stop prancing around like a deer. Your mom is going to be just fine. You hear me?"

"Yeah, I know," KK said as she sat in a seat beside Juliet. "I just don't anything to happen to her, is all."

Juliet always admire that part of Kacee's personality– the silent hero thing she's got going on. She always did everything she could for others without asking for anything in return. She could pretend like she didn't care but it was obvious she did.

"That was a brace thing you did–for your mom, I mean."

"She needed help. I dialed 911 and ran outside to fetch my neighbors. Anybody would have done that, right?" KK looked up at Juliet for an answer. Without saying anything, Juliet nodded and looked away from the child.

"Not really eight years old yet and you're making better decisions than I have." Juliet mumbled with a small grin on her face.

The doctor walked out of the delivery room, his robe and rubber gloves was soaked with blood. KK prepared herself for the worst.

"It's a girl," the doctor told Juliet before glancing down at KK. "Your mother is doing just fine, but I'm having my nurses rush your baby sister to NICU."

"When can I see my mom?"

"In just a few minutes, we're getting her cleaned up. Just keep in mind that she's very tired."

KK nodded before taking a seat again, she glanced at the clock on the wall, counting down the very second she could see her mom again.

~THE THIRD WEEK OF MAY, 2010 (After Outbreak)~

"Why did I let them come with us?" Rick asked his friend, referring to the two unconscious kid in their rooms. "I should have sent Carl with Lori and KK with her mama."

Shane scoffed humorlessly. "Man, if you start that," referring to the guilt Rick was carrying, "you'll never get that monkey off your back."

"Little girl goes missing, you look for her. Simple. You said call it, head back–"

"Doesn't matter what I said." Shane said, interrupting Rick's statement.

"They got shot because I wouldn't cut bait." Rick said. "It should be me in there."

Shane shook his head, waving his sweaty hand on his sweaty forehead. He chuckled, thinking of something ironic. "You've been there, partner. Right?"

Rick said nothing. He was silent.

"And you pulled through." Shane continued. "So will Carl. So will KK."

"Is that why I got out of that hospital? Found my family for it to end like this. This some kind of sick joke?"

"You stop it." Shane hissed. "Just stop."

"And not to mention what Thalia is gonna do to me if KK dies."

Shane scoffed. "You worried about Thalia? You should be worried about that little girl's daddy."

Just then, the door to Carl's room opened. One of Hershel's daughters walk out, she's known as Maggie. "Rick." She motioned for both of the men to come in the room. "He needs blood."

Carl was hysterical. He was throwing a fit, he didn't know what was really going on. All he knew was he was in pain.

"You, hold him down." Hershel said to Shane. He quickly walked over to do what the man told him to.

"Dad!" Carl shouted.

"I got him." Shane said, making his grip on Carl stronger.

Hershel continued to pull a bullet fragment out of Carl, only making him scream louder. "Almost there."

"Stop! You're killing him!" Rick shouted, his paternal instinct didn't like seeing his son in pain. It made him feel sick.

"Rick, do you want him to live?" Hershel asked calmly but loud enough so Rick could hear him over Carl's screams.

Moments later Carl screamed again, gasping for air.

"He needs blood." Patricia said, noticing the lost of blood and paleness from Carl.

"Do it now!" Shane yelled at Rick, he felt that Rick was moving way to slow. This was his son's life, if Carl was Shane's kid, he'd do whatever–no questions asked. No hesitation.

Rick did what his friend told him, allowing Patricia to gather blood from him. Carl continued to cry but then he went silent.

Shane looked at Rick with a broken expression.

Hershel took not of this and shook his head. "He just passed out." He pulled out one bullet piece. "One down...five to go."

"Let him rest for a minute, Hershel." Patrica suggested. "We need to go check on the little girl."

Hershel nodded, agreeing with Patricia. He looked at Shane. "The girl is going to pull through for sure, the bullet barely missed her lungs. I'd have to patch her up, give her some blood...and put her on an IV. Her blood type same as yours?"

Shane's eyes widen. Honestly, he looked terrified. "She not– I ain't her daddy. I'm no relation to her."

Hershel turned to Rick. "Is she yours?"

Rick shook his head. "Her parents are with our group. She was just with us. Carl's her best friend."

Hershel took in the new information. "Well, she's going to need blood soon. Our she will die of blood loss." The doctor left the room with Patricia to check up on KK.

Shane and Rick shared a look, both horrified of the new information.

Hershel was now checking in on Carl, he suggested that Rick and Shane leave the room.

After a few minutes, a very weak Rick walked out of Carl's room. Maggie was waiting from both him and Shane to come out.

Rick sat in a seat, that was placed in front of the farmer's daughter.

"He's stable for now." Shane announced to Maggie and Otis, who was sitting in the corner.

"A little girl?" Maggie asked.

"Hershel said she's gonna be just fine, but if we don't get her blood soon, she won't survive."

Maggie quietly gasped at the information, she didn't know these kids well but she always had a soft spot for the young.

"Lori has to be here Shane, she has to know. Same applies to Thalia, she has to be here with her daughter." Rick said.

"Okay, I get that. I'm gonna handle it." Shane reassured him. "But you've got to handle your end."

Rick showed an expression of confusion. "My–my end?"

"Your end is being here with your son." Shane squatted to his knees, to get at eye level with Rick. "Even if he didn't need your blood to survive, there is no way I'd let you walk out that door. Man, I'd break your legs if you tried. You know that, right? If something happened to him and you weren't here, if-- if he slipped away while you were gone, you would never forgive yourself for that. And neither would Lori, man."

Rick took a second to reply, he was in his own thoughts. He looked at Shane and nodded. "You're right."

"When was I ever wrong?" Shane joked, attempting to lighten the mood just a little.

Suddenly, the door to Carl's door opened, Hershel stepped out as he wiped the blood from his hands. "He's out of danger for right now. But I need to remove those remaining fragments."

"How?" Rick asked. "You saw how he was."

"I know and that was the shallowest one." Hershel told him. "And I need to go deeper to get the other ones."

"Oh, man." Shane commented.

"There's more," Hershel said.

"Tell me." Rick replied.

"His belly distended, his pressure is dropping, which means there's internal bleeding. A fragment must have nicked one of the blood vessels. I have to open him up, find the bleeder and stitch it. And he can't move while I'm in there-- I mean, at all. If he reacts the same as before, I'll sever an artery and he'll be dead in minutes. To even try this, I have to put him under. But if I do, he won't be able to breathe on his own. Same bad results."

There was a pause of silence. "What will it take?" Rick asked.

"You need a respirator." Otis said, speaking up. "What else?"

"The tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures." Hershel told his dear friend.

"If you had all that, could you save him?" Rick asked.

"If I had all that, I could try."

"Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago." Otis reminded the doctor. But then a thought dawned over the hunter. "The high school."

"That's what I was thinking." Hershel said, agreeing with Otis. "They set up a FEMA shelter over there. They would have everything we need."

"Place was overrun last time I saw it." Otis mentioned. "You couldn't get near it, but maybe it's better now."

Shane took in the newly said information. He nodded to himself. "I said, leave the rest to me. Is it too late to take that back?" He joked.

"I hate you going alone." Rick said to his friend.

"Come on. Doc, why don't you do me a list and draw me a map?"

"You won't need a map." Otis said. "I'll take you there. Ain't but five miles."

"Otis, no." Patricia said sternly.

"Honey, we don't have time for guesswork and I'm responsible. I ain't gonna sit here while this fella takes this on alone. I'll be alright."

"Are you sure about this?" Shane asked the man, Otis.

"We could wait until R.D. gets back." Maggie suggested.

"R.D. won't be back till a couple of days from now, maybe longer. You even know what any of the stuff he's talking about looks like?" Otis asked Shane.

"Come to think, no."

"I've been a volunteer at EMT. I do. We can talk about this till next Sunday or we could just go do it real quick."

"I'll take right quick." Shane said with a nod.

"I should thank you." Rick said to Otis.

"Wait till that boy of your is up and around. Then we'll talk." Otis told the man in a sheriff outfit, drenched in blood. "Does the little girl need anything?"

"She needs blood. And fast." Hershel answered.

"Where are they, your wife and the girl's mother?" Maggie asked Rick.

The group was still following the creek path up, looking for Sophia. Lori stopped in her tracks, her feet starting to get to her. One she stopped, everyone else did.

"We'll lose the light before too long." Daryl said, taking note of the sunset. "I think we should call it."

"Let's head back." Lori said.

"We'll pick up again tomorrow?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow." Thalia said, agreeing with Lori. Emma Kate switched her position on her mom, now laying on her chest with her arms wrapped around her neck.

Daryl whistled to get the groups attention, he motioned for them to follow him back to the interstate.

"How much farther?" Andrea asked, definitely struggling to keep up.

"Not much. Maybe 100 yards as the crow flies."

"Did he just say a 100 yards in not much?" Primrose asked her sister. Thalia grinned at her older sibling.

"Sounds like you're out of shape."

"Shut up." Prim said with a playful eye roll.

"Too bad we're not crows," Andrea pouted.

Failing to keep up, Andrea found herself surrounded in spider webs. She gets herself untangled successfully. She was utterly disgusted. "As the crow flies, my ass."

Unexpectedly, a walker stalked behind Andrea. She noticed and started screaming, the walker pushing her down to the ground.

"Andrea?" Carol asked, looking around for her but she was nowhere to be seen.

Thalia ran off in the direction of the scream, the group following behind her.

She continued to scream, "Help me!" It sounded like a losing battle. Thalia tried to run faster, but she did have Emma Kate attached to her hip.

Suddenly, a girl on a horse came out of nowhere and hit the walker with a wooden bat, stunning the undead monster.

"Lori? Lori Grimes? Thalia? Thalia?" The girl asked out.

"I'm Lori." Lori said.

"And I'm Thalia."

"Rick sent me for you both. You've gotta come now." The girl said urgently. Thalia and Lori shared a look, but they both knew something was up.

"What?" Lori asked.

"There's been an accident. Carl and KK been shot," at that moment the mother's heart sunk into the ground. Daryl didn't know what to make of this news, he just knew that he was now extremely worried about his daughter. "They're alive but you both have to come with me. Thalia, KK needs blood. Rick needs you, Lori. Just come."

Lori didn't hesitate, she dropped her things and got on the horse.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. You don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse." Daryl said, trying to get Lori to see she's making a huge mistake in trusting people so lightly.

Thalia started breathing heavy. "Daryl, take Emma Kate." Daryl looked at his woman with a frown.

"What?"

"Take Emma. I'm going to see about Kacee!" Emma Kate didn't want to detach from her momma just yet, reach resulted into fits and screams.

"Mommy!" The little girl screamed. "Mommy!"

"I'll see you soon. I have to go. I have to see your sister." Thalia said, attempted to soothe the child quickly before leaving.

"Rick said you had others on the highway, the big traffic snarl?" The girl, known as Maggie, asked Glenn, trying to talk loud enough over Emma Kate's screams.

"Uh huh." Glenn nodded, stunned by Maggie's presence.

"Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. The name is Greene."

Thalia quickly hopped on the horse, scooting extremely close to Lori so she could fit properly on the horse.

"Hyah." Maggie sounded for the horse to move on.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Emma Kate continued to yell. Daryl held his youngest close, trying to get her to quiet down. But she wouldn't budge, she continued to throw a fit and crying. "Mommy!"

Primrose attempted to soothe to child by taking away her from Daryl but that didn't help at all.

Then there was a small wheezing sound coming from the ground, it was the walker. Daryl had enough, he shot the walker with his bolt. "Shut up."

"We need to hurry back to the interstate." Primrose said over the four year old's screams. "Before Emma attracts more walkers. She just might need some water and a snack. Jaxon, we have any water left?" The boy looked into his bag and shook his head.

Daryl walked over to his child. "Emma Kate, stop yer screaming! Hey, stop!"

"You shouting at her ain't helping! You're scaring her." Prim held the child close, muffling her screams just a bit. "Let's go, now."

The horse ride was taking longer than Thalia wanted. All she could think about was her oldest daughter being on her deathbed. She also couldn't help but think about leaving her baby girl behind screaming and crying. All of the emotions was started to overwhelm the worried mother. All she could hope for was a positive outcome for everything.

"Shot? What do you mean shot?" Dale asked, his gun in his hand.

"I don't know, Dale. I wasn't there." Glenn said, out of breath. "All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like zorro and took Lori and Thalia."

Dale's eyes widen just a bit. He looked at Daryl. "You let her?"

"Climb down out of my ass, old man. Rick sent her. She knew their names. My kid's name."

Primrose passed by Dale, her son behind her. Primrose was still trying to get the baby girl to be quiet. "Emma Kate, you've got to shimmer down. You're fine. You got your daddy right over there."

Dale didn't recognize the new faces, he looked at Glenn then at the new people.

"Thalia's folks. They found us in the woods." Glenn answered Dale's silent question.

Dale nodded, understand their presence. "I heard screams. Was that you?" He asked Andrea. Andrea ignored the man and limped back to the RV.

"She got attacked by a walker, it was a close call." Glenn said.

"Andrea, are you all right?"

The blonde looked at the older man, she shook her head before walking in the RV and slamming the door.

Primrose set Emma Kate on her feet, she got on her knees to be at eye level with her niece. "Emma, baby, you've got to stop crying."

"Emma Kate, your mom is gonna be back soon." Jaxon said, trying to get his baby cousin to calm down.

Emma continued her screams, all she wanted was her momma. She felt alone. She felt like everyone was looking at her and thought she was being a bad girl. Although she didn't understand what was truly going on, she knew that something was wrong with her big sister. Now, all she wanted was her big sister and she knew she could have her. The child then felt sick, a tighten pull on her small chest, she started to cough. Emma then forgot how to breathe, maybe she was breathing but no air was coming to her lungs.

Her hazel eyes went big. She attempted gasp but nothing came out. Emma fell to the floor. Prim started to panic. "Daryl! Daryl!"

Hearing the panic in Prim's voice, Daryl ran over, he was already preparing a sippy cup full of water for his child but then he saw her on the ground, struggling to breathe. "Emma!"

Emma grabbed out for her father before her eyes rolled to the back of her head. "What's wrong with her, Prim?!"

Everyone wanted to walk over, they did, but they didn't stand too close, not wanting to hover over the small child.

"She's having an asthma attack! Please tell me you have some inhalers!"

"No, I ain't got any!" Daryl said, placing his hand on Emma's cheek. "Breathe, come on. You gotta breathe."

Jaxon was running his finger through her hair, trying hard to calm her down but then he had a thought. He opened his backpack and pulled out his inhaler that he almost never use. He looked at the number of pumps he had left, it was barely enough for Emma but it was worth a try. "Here! Let her use mine."

Prim took the inhaler, placing it inside the girl's mouth, pumping the medicine inside her mouth. "Breathe in. There ya go. Breathe in. You're doing great, sweet girl. One more time. Good. Good."

Emma was quiet. She looked at her father. Daryl picked her up off the ground, cradling her body close to him. "You're okay, bug. Daddy's gotcha. I gotcha."

And for a small second everything felt okay.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~ [A/N]

You guys! I had sooo much fun writing this chapter! I hope you guys had fun reading it!

Leave a comment, I'd love to know what you all are thinking! Okay, love y'all, bye. xx


	15. Chapter F I F T E E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

Please excuse my grammar and spelling errors, I try to catch them before posting.

Please feel free to ask questions! I'd love to hear from you.

Anything said in a different language is translated at bottom in the author's note.

 **On to the story...**

Chapter Fifteen — It Can't Rain All The Time

It's been minutes seen Thalia has been on the back of Maggie's horse, along with Lori.

In the distance, she could see Rick standing on the porch beside an older man with white hair.

Thalia hopped of the horse quickly as she arrived to the Greene's farmhouse. Lori was instantly in tears as she and Rick collided with a hug.

Thalia ran over to the man with white hair. "I'm Thalia. Kacee's mother," Thalia said, slightly out of breath.

"I'm Hershel. Come with me, I got to get some blood from you. What's her blood type?"

"AB negative, like her a daddy." Thalia answered, walking behind Hershel. He stopped in his tracks and turned to her.

"Well, I need her father here."

Thalia shook her head. "You can use my blood. I have a very rare blood type, it's compatible with everyone."

"What is it?"

"ABO, there's only–"

"Five people in the world that have it," Hershel finished for the mother. The man stood shocked for a minute, he never thought he'd meet someone with the blood type he's read so much about.

Thalia nodded, "well, not five anymore...I would assume a few of us have died off during this epidemic. Now, with all due respect, I'd like to help my daughter now."

"Follow me."

Hershel led the worried mother into a medium sized room, where an unconscious Kacee Dixon laid in a double sized bed. Thalia's eyes widen at the sight of her oldest child. Her tan skin was now pale, her lips were chapped, the girl looked like she was barely hanging on.

Thalia let out a quiet sobbed as she walked over to her first born. The mother gently grazed her hand over Kacee's forehead, afraid that if she put too much pressure on her she'd break.

"I still have a pulse, but it's weak." Hershel informed Thalia, after checking Kacee's pulse once again. "She needs blood now."

Thalia didn't waste anytime pulling out her arm for the older man, "drain me dry if you have to."

Hershel didn't say anything, he took a large amount from Thalia making her slightly disoriented. But the mother didn't mind, she'd do just about anything to make sure her babies were safe.

Thalia laid beside Kacee, now being close to her, she could hear her shallow breathing. Thalia smiled softly to herself, suddenly feeling proud of her little girl. "My tough little minnow. You're going to be just fine. I love you so much. Your daddy loves you. Your sister loves you. Your Aunt loves you. Your cousin loves you. Everybody–they're so worried about you and Carl. But you guys are so strong. You're going to be just fine."

"Thalia?" a modern southern voice said. Thalia turned towards the door to see Rick standing there. "Thalia, I–I'm so sorry."

Thalia gently got out of her daughter's bed. Rick stared at the unconscious little girl. Thalia noticed how pale he turned. She looked from him to her daughter then back to him. "Is this your first time seeing her since–"

"Yeah. I could barely look at Carl. I couldn't...I couldn't bring myself to look at her."

Thalia nodded, understanding the traumatic situation he had to go through with his son. "I can understand that, but what I don't appreciate is you leaving her alone to deal with this by herself. You could have at least visited her once, but I don't blame you."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Rick told her.

Thalia gave the sheriff a small smile, "I know. You gotta understand that I don't blame you. I blame no one. I'm just glad my girl is okay." Rick suddenly pulled mom into a hug. Thalia tensed against him, not expecting the sudden contact. But after a moment, she hugged him back, rubbing his back, attempting to soothe his tears. "It's okay, Rick. The kids are going to be just fine."

Looking for her husband, Lori stumbled upon the interaction between Thalia and Rick. Seeing how comfortable Rick felt to cry with her made Lori feel that either she wasn't doing something right or Rick feels comfortable with everyone else but her. Not wanting to see more, Lori went back into Carl's room waiting for Rick's return.

"How's Carl?" Thalia asked once they pulled away from each other. Rick sniffled, and wiped his eyes once again.

"He's stable. But," Rick cleared his throat, "Hershel needs to start surgery soon or he won't survive."

There was a silent pause. The thought of a child dying in such a tragic way made Thalia's stomach churn. "Oh, Rick, I'm so sorry."

"Shane's out with the man that shot them, they're trying to find the things that Carl needs for his surgery."

"They'll be back. I believe they will." Thalia said, hope evident in her eyes. "Have faith. Have hope. It can't rain all the time, Rick."

Rick locked eyes with her, really hearing and seeing the sincerity Thalia was sharing meant more to him than he'll admit. "Thank you. Thank you," he said, referring to the encouraging words Thalia said to say.

She nodded, giving a small nudge on the arm. "Go, be with your wife and kid."

Moments later, Rick went to the other room.

There was a small whimper Thalia heard from KK. "Baby?"

Thalia made her way to the bed, sitting right beside the preteen aged girl. Kacee's eyes fluttered open.

Her large brown eyes trained on her mother. "Carl?" she asked.

Tears started to form in Thalia's eyes. Even in the moment where she could be dying, she asked about her friend. She was so selfless. KK cared more about people than she's willing to admit. Thalia smiled, her daughter was so much like Daryl.

"Carl's gonna be just fine." Thalia reassured, running her fingers through Kacee's hair.

"Where's Emma? And daddy?"

"They're back at the interstate, should be making their way here soon enough. But don't worry about Emma, she's safe with your dad and Prim, not to mention the whole group."

KK nodded, taking in what she considered good news, before closed her eyes and fell into deep slumber.

"The idiot that shot my son," Thalia heard Lori say bitterly. Thalia stood at the doorway to the dining room, watching the conversation between the Grimes couple and Hershel.

"Ma'am, it was an accident." Hershel reminded her.

"I'll take that under advisement later." Lori replied. Thalia widen her eyes slightly before crossing her arms. "For now he's the idiot who shot our son."

Thalia really believed it was an accident, who would go around shooting kids? She wouldn't. Thalia couldn't speak for the rest of humanity, but if this man–Otis–is working hard to get the things Carl needs then he felt like he needed to fix the mess he caused. This man felt guilty. It doesn't take a scientist to figure that out. But maybe Lori was just heated over the situation, her attitude was understandable.

"He didn't just shoot Carl, Lori. He shot KK, Thalia's daughter." Rick reminded his wife, not making Otis' name any better.

"I know who KK is, and I know her mama. So, this man is the idiot who shot two kids." Lori said.

"Lori, keep in mind that they're doing everything they can to make the situation right." Rick also pointed out. Lori didn't want to listen, she was hurt, her baby boy was lying in a bed on the edge of dying.

"Okay, as soon as they get back. You can perform this surgery?" Lori asked the doctor.

Hershel nodded. "I'll certainly do my best."

Lori sniffled before nodding, "Okay. You've done this procedure before?"

"Well, yes. In a sense."

Thalia shifted on her feet. What did he mean by that?

"In a sense?" Lori asked.

"Honey, we don't have the luxury of shopping for a surgeon." Rick told his wife, in a way of telling her to be grateful. Thalia smirked at that, she was glad Rick was thankful.

"No. I understand that. But I mean, you're a doctor, right?"

"Yes ma'am." Hershel replied. "Of course. A vet."

"A veteran? A combat medic?" Lori asked, almost sounding relieved.

"A veterinarian." Hershel corrected.

Thalia nodded. At least the man had some type of practice.

"A–" Lori stuttered, clearly not pleased with what type of doctor he is. "And you've done this surgery before on what? Cows? Pigs?"

Thalia then had enough of Lori's ungratefulness. "Any help is better than no help, Lori. Best be thankful that he's taking the time to help our children."

Lori turned to look at her annoyed friend. Lori looked away from her, feeling like a child being scolded by her mother.

"I have to sit." Rick said before taking his sit in a chair, where he struggled to keep himself up. Lori helped straighten her husband up before her gaze returning to Hershel.

"Completely in over your head, aren't you?"

"Ma'am, aren't we all?" was Hershel's reply.

"Looks like her color is coming back to her." Hershel said from his place by the doorway.

With a smile Thalia said, "Yeah, she's doing just fine. She's been in and out of consciousness. But she's doing alright. She's gonna make a smooth recovery."

"You've done this before?"

"No. I, uh, went to nursing school when I was nineteen while dabbling in a major for education as well. I figured if I didn't become a nurse, I'd teach a health class for high school students." Thalia explained.

"You end up doing something else?" Hershel asked, out of curiosity.

"Yeah. I took over my mom's floral shop. And I'm happy I did. I don't think I would have met my children's daddy if I didn't."

Hershel smiled at the young woman, he could already tell there was something special about her.

"You're going to just fine, you know? This surgery, you're going to do just fine. Everything is going to be alright."

"Thank you." Hershel said before exiting the room.

 **" I** won't do it. We can't just leave." Carol said, tears in her eyes. The thought of leaving the interstate while her daughter was out in About didn't set right for her.

"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and we're weak." Dale tried to explain to her.

"What if she comes back and we're not here? It could happen."

"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone, that would be awful." Andrea said.

Daryl held Emma Kate in his arms. She had her head on his shoulders while drinking water out of her sippy cup, her other hand occupied as she played in her hair. "Okay. We got to plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig up a big sign, leave her some supplies. I'll hold her tonight, stay with the RV."

"If the RV is staying, I am too." Dale said.

"Thank you." Carol said. "Thank you both."

Daryl nodded, his gazed on Andrea for an answer.

"I'm in." Andrea said.

"Well, if you're all staying then I'm–" Glenn started to say.

"Not you, Glenn, you're going." Dale said, cutting off Glenn's statement. "Take Carol's Cherokee."

Glenn scoffed nervously. "Me? Why is it always me?"

"You have to find the farm, reconnect with out people and see what's going on. But most important, you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option. That cut has gone bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection. Get him to that farm. And see if they have any antibiotics. Because if not, T-Dog will die. No joke."

Daryl walked to Merle's bike with Emma Kate still in his arms. He glared at Dale when he noticed a dirty rag on the bike, he grabbed the rag and a bag of pills. He walked back over to the group.

"Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle." Daryl said as he threw the rag to Dale. "Why'd you wait till now to say anything?" Daryl put Emma Kate on her feet. The girl then wrapped an arm around her daddy's leg. Daryl didn't mind though. "Got my brother's stash. Crystal. X. Don't need that. Got some kickass painkillers. Oxycycline. Not the generic stuff either. First class. Merle got the clap on occasion." Daryl walked back over to his bike, his youngest child following right behind him.

"Wait, if you all are leaving to the farm, I want you to take my son with you." Prim said as she exited from the RV with Jaxon behind her.

"Mom, I told you I can stay and help."

Prim shook her head. "No, I don't want you on the interstate at night. It's not safe. What I need you to do is take Emma with you, she needs her mama. And it's getting late, she needs to sleep soon."

Daryl walked over to Jaxon with Emma in his arms again, "I agree with yer mom, man. I ain't 'bout to have my youngest out here at night. Take her to the farm, get her to her mama."

Daryl handed Emma Kate to her cousin Jaxon. "Ready to yer mama, ladybug?" Daryl asked. Emma smiled at him before Daryl kissed her on the forehead. His gaze was on Jaxon once again, "Tell Kacee that I'll be there soon. I gotta still look for Sophia."

Jaxon nodded, picking up his bag of things before walking over to Carol's Cherokee. "You guys have a car seat for her?"

Dale walked back into the RV and walked out with Emma's car seat in hand. Jaxon nodded at the man before placing the seat in the car and strapping his baby cousin in.

Andrea looked over at Prim, "Why are you staying? You don't even know Sophia. Shouldn't you be with your son?"

"Look, you all could use the extra set of eyes. I don't have to know this child, all I know is that she's probably scared and alone...I'd do anything to find her."

Not knowing what to say next, Andrea stayed quiet.

It's been about thirty minutes since the Glenn left to the farm with Emma Kate, Jaxon, and T-Dog.

Daryl walked out of the RV with his crossbow and flashlight in hand.

"Going somewhere?" Prim asked, she was sitting on one of the cars, gun in her hand.

"I'm going to walk the road. Look for the girl." Daryl replied. Prim sat there for a moment before nodding.

"I'll come with you." Prim said, grabbing her flashlight and bag.

"You ain't got to."

"I want to."

Daryl said nothing, he looked up to see Dale on top of the RV. "We're going for a walk. Shine some light in the forest. If she's out there, give her something to look at."

"Do you think that's a good idea right now?" Dale asked.

"We should be fine, no worries." Prim said before walking off, Daryl following behind her.

 **T** halia sat in Kacee's room, not wanting to leave her side. She looked so peaceful, the color now back in her skin.

"Mommy!" a small voice said, excitedly. Thalia turned to the doorway to see her nephew holding her youngest child in his arms.

Thalia walked over to them, she grabbed Emma from Jaxon with a smile. "Hey, bug! I'm so happy to see you."

Emma gave her mother a tight hug, then she looked over to see her sister in the bed. "Sissy sleeping?"

"Yeah, she's sleeping. Want to sit by her?" Emma Kate nodded, as soon as Thalia placed her on her feet, the little girl walked over to the bed. She got in the bed on her own, she sat right beside her big sister.

"When sissy gonna wake up?"

"I don't know, love. She's pretty tired. You go ahead and lay down beside her."

Emma did what she was told and laid down with her sister. The four year old pulled a sweet and sour tart candy that Daryl gave her the other day, it was her last piece. She placed inside of Kacee's hand. "There ya go, sissy. You gets a piece. It's really really good."

Thalia smiled at the exchange Emma Kate had with her sister. Thalia looked over to Jaxon. "How did you two get here?"

"Glenn and Mr. Dog, we caught a ride with them. Mom made me come, then Daryl made me take Emma with me."

Thalia frowned. "Wait. Daryl's not here?"

"No, he will be tomorrow though. He wanted to continue looking for Sophia."

Thalia sighed. "Instead of being here with his daughter, who's been hurt, he's out and about looking for someone else's kid?"

"That sums it up harshly, but yeah." Jaxon said. Thalia shook her head, but then she looked back at her nephew.

"Did you eat something yet?"

"No, not yet." Jaxon answered.

"Okay, well, stay here with the girls, I'll go see if there's something to eat." Thalia said before making her way out of the room.

On her way out, she bumped into Glenn. Seeing Glenn, she gave him a big hug. "Hey, Glenn."

"Thalia, we just saw Carl–how's KK?" Glenn asked.

"She's fine. Tired, needs rest, but fine."

Glenn and T-Dog nodded, relieved to hear some good news.

"Maggie, is there something my nephew and youngest can eat?"

Maggie's eyes lit up. "That little one the boy had in his arms is yours as well?"

Thalia smiled and nodded.

"How old is she?"

"Four."

"There's something I can make them. Let me get these two taken care of and I'll be right there." Maggie said with a small smile before leading Glenn and T-Dog in the dining room.

 **"Y** ou don't have to look over your shoulders, I can take care of myself." Prim said from behind Daryl. He kept looking back to make sure she was still there, he didn't want to lose his ol' lady's sister in the woods.

"You sound just like your sister." Daryl mumbled loud enough for Primrose to hear. Prim chuckled.

"Like I haven't heard that before. Moi et ma soeur sont pratiquement des jumeaux."

"How come you're all foreign and Thally ain't?" Daryl asked.

"Well, we have different fathers. My dad was a traveler, he told me that he was living in France with his new wife and stepchild. When I was fourteen, he gave me a choice–stay with my mom or live with him in France..."

"You went to France." Daryl said, knowing the obvious answer.

"Yes, I moved to France. But, I lived in Georgia ever summer. It didn't feel right not seeing my sister as often as possible."

Daryl hummed as an answer.

"She never told me how you two met."

"She had car trouble, came to my shop, fixed her car, end of story." Daryl said, trying to make the story as short as possible. "We broke up five or six months later."

"Well, that explains how Kacee was conceived...but how did Emma Kate happen?"

Daryl grew uncomfortable with talking about his relationship with Thalia to her sister, so he changed the subject. "We playing twenty questions or something?"

Prim smiled at his sudden mood change, "you started it. I do have one question, not relating to the relationship you have with my sister."

"What?"

"You really think you all are going to find that little girl, Sophia?" Prim asked, flashing her light on the trees.

Daryl flashed his light on Prim's face. She looked like she was in deep thoughts, doubting the search for Sophia. "You got that look on your face, same as everybody else. What the hell's wrong with you people? We just started looking."

"Well, do you?"

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet." Prim nodded in agreement. "It's Georgia. She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive. It happens all the time."

"She's only 12." Prim reminded him.

"Kacee's a few months younger than her...my daughter would have been found her way back. Hell. I was younger than her and I got lost. Nine days in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak."

"They found you?"

Daryl shook his head. "My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doing another stint in Juvie. Didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear. Except my ass itched something awful."

Primrose couldn't hold back the laughter in her throat. She didn't want Daryl to think she was insensitive, so she quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry. Such a terrible story but damn."

Daryl and Primrose shared a laugh together. Prim was happy to see Daryl be less awkward around her, even if it was for a moment.

"Only difference is Sophia got people looking for her. I call that an advantage."

 **T** halia held Emma Kate in her arms, kissing her cheeks and tickling her tummy. Emma Kate giggled before wrapping her arms around her mother's neck.

"I made y'all a few sandwiches." Maggie said, making her way into the room with a plate with three sandwiches.

"You didn't have to make me anything, Maggie. Just my nephew and daughter."

"I wanted to." Maggie said, placing the plate on the nightstand. She looked at Emma Kate and smiled. "Hi, you're such a cutie."

Emma Kate blushed, cuddling closer to her mom. "Hi." the toddler greeted.

Maggie grinned before leaving the room. Jaxon watched the woman leave, admiring her from behind.

"Don't even, Jaxon." Thalia said, referring to the crush her nephew was about to develop. "She's too old for you."

"I'm about to be eighteen."

Thalia playfully glared at the teenager. "Find someone your age."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Jaxon asked. "Want me to get on a computer and sign up for "teensmeetduringtheapocalypse dot com" I'm sure that would go well."

Thalia chuckled, "why do you have to be a little shit?"

 **P** rimrose and Daryl continued to walk through the woods together, in comfortable silence. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound. Primrose switch her gun's safety off, nodding for Daryl to go forward and she'd follow behind him.

The found a small tent set up. It looked like someone made a camp in the woods.

"This your camp?" Daryl asked, he remembered her saying that her son and her had a camp set up.

"No, our camp was ways from here."

Daryl nodded. Then he heard a rustling in the trees, he saw a walker hanging.

"What the hell?" Daryl said. Prim shined her light on the walker, the closer Daryl got the more riled up it got. "Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit."

"That's very poetic of him." Prim said. Daryl looked at the woman to see there no fear on her face.

"You a sadistic little shit, ain't you?"

Primrose chuckled at Daryl's question, "you have no idea. Thalia can be like that too. She sometimes have a very dark humor."

"So that's where Kacee gets it." Daryl mumbled. "Dumbass didn't know enough to shot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swinging piece of bait."

"And a mess." Primrose continued, now standing beside Daryl. "That smell is something I'll never get use to."

"If you gotta throw up, go ahead, just do it over there."

"I have a strong stomach."

"Gotta eat. That's the one thing these walkers and us have in common." Daryl said, observing the way the walker is reacting to them.

"We're the closes food he's been to since he turned."

"Look at 'im, hanging up there like a big piñata. The other geeks came and ate off the flesh on his legs."

"Well, he made himself an open buffet. Kinda gross." Prim commented, also shining her light on his legs.

"Hmm. Let's head back." Daryl said, turning away from the swinging mess. Prim grabbed her dagger, throwing it where it landed between the walker's eyes.

"Can't believe I landed my accurate aim." Primrose whispered to herself.

"You comin' or what?"

"Gardez vos tiroirs, Daryl. J'arrive." Prim said just as she passed Daryl.

Daryl scoffed, "English, woman. English."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~ [A/N]

Moi et ma soeur sont pratiquement des jumeaux : "Me and my sister are practically twins."

Gardez vos tiroirs, Daryl. J'arrive : "Keep your drawers on, Daryl. I'm coming."

I had so much fun writing this chapter! Really enjoyed the interaction Daryl and Prim had. I think it's best for Daryl to realize that Prim is pretty laid back.

Comment, if you'd like. I'd love to hear from you. Until next time, bye! xx


	16. Chapter S I X T E E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

Please excuse my grammar and spelling errors, I try to catch them before posting.

Please feel free to ask questions! I'd love to hear from you.

Anything said in a different language is translated at bottom in the author's note.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Chapter Sixteen – Better Days

~April 20, 1998 (approximately 10:49 p.m.)~

"That movie was terrible," Thalia commented, walking into her home with Daryl following behind her.

"It wasn't that bad." Daryl said as he took a seat on the couch.

"Let me get you a beer," Thalia said as she walked into the kitchen. "I'm just saying...the gun play was awful, and the gore was terrible."

"How would you know? You had your eyes closed the whole time." Daryl smirked. Thalia gave him a playful glare as she handed him a beer.

"I didn't have my eyes closed the whole time, just for part of the movie." Thalia said, taking a seat close to Daryl. The woman starting playing with her fingers, deep in thought. Daryl watched her, he noticed her lips pouting slightly, her eyes staring into nothing, and her left foot tapping on the wooden floor slowly.

"Whatcha thinking about, woman?"

As she took off her jacket, Thalia sighed. "The storyline for that movie was terrible also. I mean, if someone gets shot you care for them first...you don't immediately avenge their death...especially when they're not dead yet."

"That man was inches away from death," Daryl said. "He was gonna die before they get him some help."

"Maybe you're right," Thalia said with a nod," who knows, right?"

Daryl took a swig of his beer, "right, who knows."

Thalia couldn't help but have her eyes linger on Daryl. He was so different from her ex boyfriends, who were nothing but male chauvinist assholes. Daryl was very different, he had issues but so did she. He didn't judge her for them at all. He was a gentleman, every time they did make love he would look at her several times for consent. And each time he did, she smiled. He was careful with her feelings, with her body.

When they would go out and she decided to wear something sleeveless, if he caught any man staring at her with lust, he'd take off his jacket and hand it to her.

"Daryl," Thalia whispered, catching the attention from the man himself. Thalia leaned over and kissed his jaw, her hand guiding his hand to her thighs. Daryl's eyes grew darker, Thalia sparkling up the warm feelings of lust. "Thank you."

"For what?" Daryl asked, voice a tad bit huskier than usual.

"For just being you."

Daryl shrugged. "I don't know how to be anyone else."

Thalia smiled before gently pressing her lips against his. Daryl took a moment before responding to the kiss. It was always strange to him, he usually never had much luck with women-they come and they go, but with Thalia...everything was different. Things made sense. Of course, they were total opposites. She was sometimes loud and outgoing. He was quiet and liked to be in secluded areas. Growing up, she had a pool in the back yard. He had to hope his old man wasn't in the mood to lay hands on him, unfortunately everyday his dad was in that mood. She's had three boyfriends. He's hooked up with only two girls. She attended an academy and graduated with high honors. He dropped out of school. She was literally an angel. He felt he wasn't worth a damn thing. But he was thankful for her, the bond he grew with her was something he'll never forget. It was something that was his, and he'd always want to hold on to it.

"Daryl?" Thalia said against his lips.

"Hmm?"

"You tired?" Thalia ran her hands through his hair. Daryl loves the way she would touch, so gentle. So sensual.

Daryl kissed her again. "No."

Thalia's lips went from his lips to his neck, while her hands still ran through his hair. Daryl leaned his head against the couch, giving Thalia a lead way to kiss down his throat. He sighed contently. Thalia hands left his hair, now softly tugging on jacket that laid on Daryl's shoulder.

Daryl helped her get rid of his jacket, leaving him in his white T-shirt.

Daryl pulled her closer, inhaling the smell of her rosey perfume. Kissing down her neck, Daryl moved one of Thalia's spaghetti strap off her shoulder, moving his kisses to her shoulders.

Thalia closed her eyes, his lips kissing her skin while his facial hair tickled her sent shivers down her spine. Thalia unbuttoned his pants. Daryl stopped her.

"What?" Thalia asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

Daryl didn't say anything, but he motioned for Thalia to lay down. Daryl lifted her blouse over her head, leaving her topless. He started to kiss her chest, sucking at the skin gently, biting it tenderly. Thalia was sure that a few love bites would be there in the morning.

Daryl looked at his woman, his eyes trained on her. His tongue found her nipples, sending her a chilling sensation. Thalia's eyes never left Daryl as he kissed down her stomach. Before removing her skirt and undergarment, Daryl gave her a longing look, asking her if he could continue. Thalia was lost for words at the moment, she nodded her head, giving her man a small smile.

Daryl intertwined his fingers with hers before giving her the best orally pleasure she could ever imagine.

Daryl's mouth moved against Thalia's core, making every lick count in the best way possible. Thalia could feel the warm sensation building up inside her. Biting her lips, she ran her fingers through Daryl's hair, tugging on it with every suck he performed on her clit.

"Daryl," Thalia said breathlessly, followed by breathy moans.

Giving her pleasure and hearing it motivated Daryl, with his free hand he led two fingers inside Thalia's warm core. Almost sending Thalia over the edge by doing so.

"Fuck," Thalia mumbled.

Daryl continued to flick his tongue and move his fingers, now finding a rhythm. It didn't take long for Thalia to reach her climax. Thalia's eyes found Daryl's blue eyes staring at her.

"You tired?" Thalia asked. Daryl gave her core one more kiss before answering.

"No, not yet."

Thalia motioned for Daryl to press his lips against hers. Kissing Daryl was one of her favorite things to do, but to taste herself on him sent her over edge. "Come to bed with me?"

Daryl kissed her again, looking in her eyes, seeing a unfamiliar glint. A look that he has only seen in movies when the guy "fell in love" with the guy. Usually, that would scare him away, make him think that the girl was crazy, loving a troubled guy like him. But, Daryl stayed, he hoped that-if only just for a moment-he could enter a blissful state of love.

Thalia kissed Daryl before leading him into the bedroom, hoping to give him equal pleasure that he has shown her.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

~THIRD WEEK OF MAY (after outbreak)~

Emma Kate was fast asleep beside her sister. Thalia smiled at how peaceful her two girls looked, considering the circumstances. "I guess all Emma needed was some food. It didn't take her long to sleep."

"Right. The energy from the asthma attack must being falling on her as well." Jaxon said, eating the rest of Emma's sandwich.

Thalia turned to her nephew.

"What asthma attack?"

Jaxon stopped what he was doing, suddenly feeling like he shouldn't have said anything at all. "The one she had at the interstate. I guess she took the sudden detachment from you pretty hard."

Thalia sighed, her hands finding her head. "If it's not one thing, it's the other. Thank you, for making sure she was okay."

"No problem. We might have scavenge for more inhalers though. I used my last bit on her."

Thalia closed her eyes before moving her gaze to her bag. "We don't have to do the right now." The mother got up from her seat and walked over to her medium sized black bag. "I have a five inhalers. Here, you can have two. They have about sixty five puffs before you're out. Should be good for a while."

Jaxon smiled at his Aunt Lia, it seemed like this woman was always prepared.

"You done with that plate?" Jaxon nodded, handing the plate over to Thalia. "Get some sleep, I'll be out here."

Washing the plate only took a few seconds, Thalia could hear painful grunts coming from dining room. She walked in there to see T-Dog getting stitched up by Patricia.

"You got here right in time." Patricia told the man in pain. "This couldn't go untreated much longer."

Thalia sat in the seat next to T-Dog, offering her hand to him. He took it, squeezing it when the pain became too much.

"Merle Dixon." Patricia read of the prescription bottle. Hearing his name, Thalia rolled her eyes. "Is that your friend with the antibiotics?"

"No ma'am." Glenn said, standing in the doorway. "Merle's no longer with us. Daryl gave us those-his brother."

"Not sure I'd call him a friend." Thalia would hope T-Dog was referring to Merle.

"He is today. The doxycycline might have just saved your life. You know what Merle was taking it for?" Patricia asked.

"The clap." Glenn answered. Thalia and Maggie turned to him. Maggie wasn't expecting that answer. Thalia was really surprised. "Um, venereal disease. That's what Daryl said."

"I'd say Merle Dixon's clap was best thing to ever happen to you." Patricia commented, trying to lighten the mood. Thalia smirked, appreciation the attempt she made.

"I'm really trying not to think about it." T-Dog said, squeezing tightly on Thalia's hand.

Glenn walked off. Maggie watched him. Thalia took notice. "Hey, Maggie, I can hold him down. Would you check on Glenn for me?" Thalia asked the young lady as she made her way to T-Dog's injured arm. Maggie nodded, walking off after Glenn.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Patricia stitched up T-Dog pretty well, he was now resting on the couch in the living room.

Thalia was in the kitchen, pouring herself some lemonade. Tasting the sweet and savory drink made Thalia feel like she was at home again, even if it was just for a moment.

"How's Kacee?" Lori asked, making her way to stand by Thalia. Thalia was sitting at the small table that was placed in the kitchen.

"She's fine. How's Carl?" Thalia asked, taking a sip of her drink. Lori suddenly burst into tears. Thalia felt awkward for a second, not expecting the crying to come so sudden. "Sit down, Lori. Talk to me."

Lori did just that, she sat down in front of the woman she could consider as a friend. "Hershel gave me and Rick a choice earlier. Either wait for Shane, have Carl closer to death or perform the surgery with the extreme chance of Carl dying."

"That's a hard decision. I'm sorry you have to experience this. If the situation was reversed and Carl was in front of KK, I'd have to be facing the same decision as you. I–I wouldn't know what to do."

"I wanted him to die." Lori admitted, sniffing against her hand. Thalia's eyes widen slightly, not really believing a mom saying they didn't want their child to live. "In this world, how it is...I don't want his death for him to be torn to pieces. I want it to be peaceful."

"You fucking sound like Jenner."

Lori looked at Thalia. "I just want–"

"No, Lori. You making that decision for Carl is selfish. Honey, that boy wants to live. Who says that this is the end? Who says that there's no light at the end of the tunnel? You fucking show me where that's written."

Lori was silent for a moment, taking in the words Thalia was saying. "He asked about her, you know." Thalia raised an eyebrow. Lori looked at her. "Carl-he-asked about her, your daughter. He was talking about what happened. The first thing that came out of his mouth was her name."

Thalia gave Lori a small smile. "She asked about him too." Thalia grabbed Lori's hand.

"Why do I feel like I'm being punished? My husband was on his deathbed, now my son."

"Your husband is not on his deathbed now. I can tell Carl is so much like his daddy. Rick looks like he's too stubborn to die." The mothers shared a laugh. Lori nodding, agreeing with Thalia. "You know, Lori, sometimes life is like a broken car...all it needs is a few pieces and time. You work on it, then it's brand new again. You and your family will be just fine. You hear me?"

Lori smiled, not expecting the advice Thalia was giving her. "I'm going to go be with Rick and Carl. I really needed to hear that."

"Anytime. Go on, now." Thalia said, watching Lori walk off into the other room. Thalia sighed before getting up and walking into the living room.

"How ya holding up, T-Dog?"

"Just fine, Thalia. Just fine."

Just then, Hershel and Patricia passed by then with some serious medical equipment. Hershel opened the door to Carl's room. Thalia's eyes met Lori's. Thalia gave the mother a proud smile.

"Rick. Lori. You may want to step out." Hershel told the parents. Thalia then heard a truck approaching the house, she ran outside to see who it was. Rick and Lori following behind her.

It was Shane. He looked defeated and hurt. Thalia then remembered that another man was supposed to be with him, but Shane was alone. And that could mean only one thing.

"Carl?" Shane asked, gasping for breathe.

"There's still a chance." Rick said.

Shane quickly gave the medical supplies to Hershel. The older man paused for a second, looking out to the truck. "Otis?"

Shane avoided eye contact, shaking his head. "No."

Thalia closed her eyes before glancing over at Maggie and her sister, seeing the devastation on their faces.

Hershel looked conflicted. "We say nothing to Patricia. Not till after. I need her." Hershel fan off to the house.

Shane stood there, looking like he went through the most traumatic experience of his life. Rick pulled Shane into a comforting hug. But Shane's eyes was still staring into nothing. Thalia took notice of that.

"They kept blocking us at every turn," Shane whispered to Rick, referring to the walkers. "We had nothing left. We were down to 10 rounds. He said-he said he'd cover me and that I should keep going. So that's what I did, I just...I kept going. But I-I looked back and he-"

Thalia knew she was going to sound insensitive if she were to say anything about how too cliche and heroic Otis' death sounded, so she decided to say nothing. If anything in that wasn't true, it'd come to light soon. Nothing stays hidden forever. Thalia went over to Maggie and her sister, giving them both a comforting touch on the shoulder.

"I tried." Shane said to Rick.

"He wanted to make it right." Rick said, trying to comfort his friend in the best way he knew how, by his words. Shane looked over Rick's shoulder to Lori, giving her a sad yet longing look. Thalia took note of that as well. She shook her head. Like she said, nothing stays hidden for long.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Primrose and Daryl made their way back to the RV. Seeing how they were empty handed, Carol stormed off the RV in tears.

Carol ran back into the RV, slamming the door behind her. Dale and Andrea got off of the RV, looking at Primrose and Daryl, both of them shook their head, signaling the fact that they didn't find any sign of Sophia.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Thalia was in KK's room. And all of the sudden, the weight of the house lifted, Thalia smiled knowing she was right Carl was going to be just fine.

"Mom?" KK whispered, her voice small and raspy. Thalia made it to her side in no time, grabbing her hand.

"Yes, baby?"

"Where's dad?" Kacee asked, seeing that her little sister and cousin was in the room with her. Thalia sighed.

"He's still back at the interstate, looking for Sophia. You understand that, right? We have to find her."

Kacee said nothing. Instead, she looked at the ceiling, trying to mask the feelings of disappointment. She was thankful that she had her mom with her, but the one time where she needed Daryl, the one time where she wanted to be held by her father...he wasn't there. Like always. He wasn't there.

Thalia took in her daughter's silence. "Hey, baby, I'm gonna get you a drink. Your throat might be dry." Kacee still didn't move, she just kept staring at the ceiling.

On her way to the kitchen, Thalia heard the end of a conversation.

"...He didn't make it. I'm sorry, Patricia." Rick said. Then there was a loud sobbing noise. Thalia cursed lowly, the sound of Patricia's tears was too much. Thalia couldn't help but let a few tears slip for the woman's pain.

Luckily, the pitch of lemonade was in the dining room. Thalia quickly made her daughter a drink before making her way back into Kacee's room.

"What's going on out there?" Kacee asked, taking a sip of her lemonade. Thalia shook her head, in a way of telling her child not to worry about it.

"Don't talk much, baby. Just drink."

"Does he like me?"

Thalia was confused. "Does who like you, sweetie?" Thalia ran her fingers through Kacee's curly hair.

"Dad-does he like me?"

Thalia then caught on to what KK meant. Thalia kissed her forehead and smiled. "Your daddy loves you. You hear me? He loves you. He's just...so caught up in finding Sophia-he wants to get the job done so he could spend more time with you and your sister. You know how I know he loves you?"

"How?"

"Well, that motorbike you were riding with him...it belongs to your Uncle Merle." Thalia said with a small sigh. "Your daddy doesn't like people even looking at the bike. But you, he let you ride it. You know what that means?"

"That he loves me?" Kacee asked as her eyelids were getting heavy again, her body wanting her to sleep.

Thalia kissed her forever once more before whispering, "yes, that means he loves you."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~ [A/N]

OmG! I had so much fun writing this chapter! Let me know what are your favorite moments from the book so far!

Until the next chapter, bye! xx


	17. Chapter S E V E N T E E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

Please excuse my grammar and spelling errors, I try to catch them before posting.

Please feel free to ask questions! I'd love to hear from you.

Anything said in a different language is translated at bottom in the author's note.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Chapter Seventeen – Nothing But Tales

"Momma, I'm feeling fine. Promise." KK told her mother for the sixth time. Thalia shook her head.

"You might feel fine now, but you'll be tired later. Rest up for a few more hours and I'll see if you can walk around the farm. Deal?"

"Fine." KK said, crossing her arms. Thalia sighed.

"Hey, Jaxon," Thalia said, getting her nephews attention. The boy was writing in his journal. He looked up at his Aunt.

"Yeah?"

"They're having a funeral for Otis. I'm thinking you can go out there and gather some stones with them. Help the process go by quicker."

"Right," Jaxon said with a nod. He closed his journal before making his way outside.

Jaxon made his way over to the small group of people. He didn't say anything, he just started picking up stones.

"You don't have to do this, Jaxon." Maggie said, throwing a stone in the wheelbarrow. Jaxon shook his head.

"Nah, I want to." Maggie nodded at him. Jaxon reached for a stone at the same time another hand did.

The hand was soft and small compared to his. He looked up to see who the hand belonged to. The girl was blonde, pale, and around his age. "Uh, hi."

"Hi." The girl said timidly.

"I'm Jaxon." The boy said, offering his hand for her to shake. The girl blushed but took his hand anyway.

"I'm Beth." She said softly, gazing into Jaxon's brown eyes.

"And I'm Jimmy," a boy around Jaxon's age said from behind Beth. Jimmy gave Jaxon a firm look. A look that Jaxon wasn't new to seeing. He knew what that meant. Beth was spoken for.

"Right, you're Jimmy. Well, um, I think I hear Maggie calling me..." Jaxon said awkwardly.

Maggie turned to look at the boy, she was confused. "Jaxon, I didn't call you."

"I'm coming, Maggie." Jaxon said loudly over Maggie's statement, hoping Beth or Jimmy didn't hear her. "Women, right?"

Jaxon walked over the wheelbarrow, throwing in another stone, cursing under his breath.

While she worked, Beth looked over to the boy, smiling widely at how different he seemed. Beth was always the girl who liked different. Hopefully, she'd have the opportunity to befriend him.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Thalia was trying to get a very stubborn Emma Kate to finish her eggs that Maggie cooked for them. But she refused. Apparently she wasn't in the mood to eat.

"Emma, stop acting like this." Thalia said to the toddler. "You're four years old, too big to be acting the way you are. I thought you were going to be mommy and daddy's big girl? Now, finish your eggs." Thalia tried giving her some more but she smacked it back on the plate.

"No mommy!" Emma Kate replied sassily, walking back over to her stuffed bunny.

Thalia sighed, "Why you girls gotta be like your daddy?" Moments later, Thalia could hear a motorcycle approaching the house. Thalia looked to her daughter's bed to see her eyes closed. Not wanting to disturb her, Thalia picked up Emma Kate and walked outside.

Daryl was just getting off his bike by the time Thalia was outside. Emma Kate lit up at the sight of her father.

Everyone stood there on opposite sides. The Greene's and Patricia stood by the house while Rick's group stood by their vehicles.

"Daddy!" Emma said excitedly. Thalia placed the girl on her feet, so she could over to Daryl. Daryl picked the child up, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

Everyone smiled softly at how small and cute Emma Kate was. But Dale broke the true silence.

"How is he?" Dale asked Lori and Rick, referring to their son.

"He'll pull through," Lori said with a smile. "Thanks to Hershel and his people."

"And KK?" Daryl asked Thalia.

"She's fine. She's asleep right now." Thalia told him.

"We would have lost Carl if it wasn't for Shane." Rick said.

Thalia crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She was glad Carl was okay. But giving Shane the credit of saving Carl's life was going to boost an ego that Rick will not want to deal with later.

Eyes shifted over to Shane. Shane didn't want to make much eye contact with anyone. Primrose crossed her arms, eyeing the ex cop a little harder than she wanted to. She glanced over to her son, who was standing beside a blonde girl known as Beth.

"That's Shane?" Primrose mouthed to her son. Jaxon tried to hide his smirk. But he nodded to his mother, confirming that the man with the shaved head and large clothes was indeed Shane.

Relieved at the news about the children, Dale pulled Rick into a hug. Carol then hugged Lori.

"Thank God," she mumbled. "We were so worried."

Daryl walked over to Thalia, Emma Kate on his arm, holding her up with ease. "I'm glad to hear she's alright."

Thalia gave him a small smile. "She asked about you, you know? I had to tell her you were still out there looking for Sophia."

Thalia might look like she's being honest and friendly, but Daryl could hear the venom in her voice. "I ain't fighting with you in front of these people."

"How did it happen?" Dale asked the parents of the injured children.

"Hunting accident," Rick told him. "That's all--just a stupid accident."

"Rick, it's almost time to pay our respects to Otis." Hershel reminded the sheriff before walking into his house.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

They all stood outside, except the injured kids, they were inside resting. Thalia stood beside Daryl as he held Emma Kate. Primrose and Jaxon stood behind Thalia. Beth laid a stone on Otis' grave.

"Blessed be God," Hershel prayed, reading from the Bible. "Father, our lord, Jesus Christ. Praise be to him for the gift of our brother, Otis, for his span of years, for his abundance of character; Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace her enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in grace." Hershel looked over at Shane. "Shane, will you speak for Otis?"

Shane looked away from the older man. "I'm not good at it. I'm sorry."

"You were the last person with him," Patricia said, holding in a few more sobs. "You shared his final moments. Please. I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning."

Shane broke eye contact away from the widow. "Meaning. We were about done. Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. I was limping. It was bad. Ankle all swollen up."

True.

"'We've got to save the boy.' See, that's what he said. He gave me his backpack and shoved me ahead. 'Run,' he said. He said, 'I'll take the rear. I'll cover you.' And when I looked back..."

False. Thalia sucked in her breath. Hearing it over...it sounded rehearsed. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself that Otis' death happened the way he said it did.

Daryl noticed how tense Thalia got. He reached over and squeezed her waist. She looked over at him. The hunter gave her a sharp gaze, silently telling her he calls bullshit as well.

Shane limped over to Otis' stoned grave. "If not for Otis, I'd never made it out alive."

True.

"And that goes for Carl, too. It was Otis. He saved us both. If any death ever had meaning, it was his." Shane then placed a stone on the grave.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

"Walk slow, now." Thalia ordered her pre-teenaged daughter. Kacee held on against Thalia's arm, walking towards Carol's Cherokee, where everyone seems to be gathered.

"How long has the girl been missing?" Hershel asked.

"This'll be day three." Rick said before turning his attention to Thalia and KK walking towards the vehicle. "You supposed to be out of bed?"

Daryl looked up to see his child slowly moving towards the group. "Kacee." Daryl mumbled before walking over to help his child.

"Oh so now you're here." KK mumbled to Daryl, rolling her eyes. Her gazed shifted to Rick. "I can't stay in bed all day. Makes me feel weird."

Hershel smirked at the little girl. "You're a feisty one, ain't you?"

"Yes," everyone said in unison.

Maggie walked over to the car, carrying a large paper in her hands. "County survey map. Shows terrains and elevations."

"This is perfect. We can finally get this things organized." Rick said, looking over the rather large map. "We'll grid the whole area, start searching in teams."

Daryl made it back to his spot, only this time KK and Thalia was by his side.

"Not you. Not today." Hershel told Rick then his gaze turned towards Thalia. "You either, Lia. Rick, you gave three units of blood. Thalia, you gave two. You two wouldn't be hiking five miles in this heat before passing out."

"I wasn't planning on going, at least not today." Thalia told Hershel.

"And your ankle--" Hershel said, talking to Shane. "Push it now. You'll be laid up a month, no good to anybody."

Daryl looked at Kacee then at the map. "Guess it's just me."

Kacee looked at her father, her brown eyes sending him a familiar glare. "Of course it is."

Daryl didn't look at his daughter. "Don't start, K. I mean it." Daryl was focused on the map. "I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there."

"I can still be useful." Shane said. "I'll drive up to the interstate, see if Sophia wandered back."

"I'm gonna catch a ride with Shane there, there's this car that was perfect for me and the girls, it should run smoothly." Thalia told Rick. Shane scoffed.

"You think we can find enough gas for another car. You and your girls will do just fine on the RV." Shane said.

"Not when it's hot like it was."

"Thalia can have her own car. She can be responsible for her own gas." Rick said, "Alright then, tomorrow we all look for Sophia. We'll start doing this right."

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives." Shane stated. "They need the gun training we've been promising them."

"I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property." Hershel said. "We've managed so far without turning this into an armed camp."

"All due respect, you get a crowd of those things wandering in here..." Shane said with a scoff.

"Look, we're guests here. This is your property and we will respect that." Rick said before placing his gun on the hood of the car. Shane reluctantly doing so as well. "First things first: set camp, find Sophia."

"I hate to be the one that ask–" Shane started.

"But you're gonna ask anyway." Kacee said, cutting of Shane's sentence. Shane looked at the younger girl.

"I'm sorry, KK, but was I speaking to you?"

"Hey, watch yer tone when speaking to my kid." Daryl said, stepping in for Kacee. Thalia smirked at the reaction Daryl had to Shane giving their kid lip.

Not saying anything else, Shane continued his statement. "What happens if we find her and she's bit? I think we should all be clear on how to handle that."

"You do what has to be done." Rick said.

"And her mother? What do you tell her?" Maggie asked.

"The truth. She deserves to hear what happened to her child if the situation is that." Thalia stated.

"I'll gather and secure all the weapons." Shane said. "Make sure no one's carrying till we're at a practice range off site. I do request one rifleman on lookout. Dale's got experience."

There was a silence pause. Hershel was clearly not comfortable with it.

"Our people would feel safer, less inclined to carry a gun."

It was a moment before Hershel nodded.

"Thank you." Shane mumbled.

Daryl walked off, Thalia and Kacee following behind him. Daryl made his way into Kacee's room to find Emma Kate playing with some toys. Daryl turned to Thalia.

"You left Emma in here by herself?"

Thalia scoffed. "She's just fine in here by herself."

"You left her in a room in a house with people we don't know?"

Thalia helped KK back in bed before turning to Daryl, "those people helped save your little girl's life. Now, stay here while I make your kids something to drink."

Thalia made her pass Daryl, surly hitting her shoulders with his. Daryl watched her leave, shaking his head.

"Yer mama is gonna be the death of me," Daryl said to Emma Kate. He walked over to KK's bed, sitting on the edge. "KK."

"What?" KK said snappily, crossing her arms. She glared at her father. Although he wasn't intimidated, he could see how she looks just like him when she's mad.

"You better watch yer tone. And I ain't playing. The world might be shit but I could figure out a way to punish ya. Take away them knives ya got, how bout that?"

KK didn't say anything else, she just say that. Satisfied, Daryl continued to talk but in a softer tone.

"Look, I know ya think I don't care about ya...that's not true. As soon as Thalia told me I have two little girls everythin' was different. I had to adjust to be a daddy and quick, so I'm still learning, K. I know I made a fucked decisions–" Daryl looked down at Emma Kate, who was watching him talk with a smile. "Emma, daddy ain't say a bad word."

Emma Kate giggled, "yes he did."

Daryl shook his head and turned back to KK. "I made a bad decision by not coming when you needed me, but darlin' ya gotta understand that I can't leave a little girl out there alone. Thinking about you or Emma being out there by yourselves kills me. I gotta find that girl, Kacee. I have to."

KK sat there for a moment, before nodding. "I get it."

"We good?"

"For now," Kacee told her father. Daryl shook his head.

"You really are my kid." Daryl said with a small chuckle. "Listen, we could go huntin' sometime or I could teach you how to use my bow...if it's alright with yer mama." The girl's face lit up, the thought of doing activities with her dad always made her happy.

Just then Thalia walked in with a sippy cup full of tea and a glass of milk for KK. "You can have tea after you finish your milk."

"Thanks, mom." Kacee said, sipping her milk. "You leaving, dad?"

Daryl nodded, "yeah, ye get some rest. I'll be back soon." Before leaving, he kissed each one of his girls on the forehead, including Thalia.

It was a moment since Daryl has left the room. Thalia walked out of the room after Daryl. "Watch your sister, KK."

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Daryl started walking off towards the woods, hoping that he'll get back before sundown so he could help Thalia set their tent up.

"Daryl." He heard someone call his name, he turned around to see it was Rick. "You okay on your own?"

Daryl gave him a dismissive look. "I'm better on my own." Daryl began to walk off. "Don't worry. I'll be back before dark."

"Hey!" Rick called out. Daryl turned to look at him, seconds away from getting annoyed. "We got a base. We can get this search organized properly."

"You got a point or are we just chattin'?"

"My point is it lets you off the hook. Give you some time with your family. You don't owe us anything."

Daryl walked off, ignoring most of Rick's statement. "My other plans fell through."

Daryl was halfway towards the woods when he heard Thalia coming from behind him. "Daryl!"

"What now?" Daryl mumbled, turning around to face Thalia. Thalia ran to him and when she was close enough she pulled him into a kiss. Daryl wasn't expecting but after a moment, he relaxed, pulling the woman close to him.

They pulled a part after a moment. Daryl's eyes grew darker, Thalia smirked, knowing that she riled him up.

"Whatcha trying to start, woman?"

Thalia laughed, "I heard what you said to Kacee. Thank you. She seems to be alright now. Look, I might have been hard on you. And that might be because I've been a parent longer than you. And I get it, you're still learning. I'm sorry."

Daryl pulled Thalia into another kiss, moving his lips against hers. "I'll be back before dark."

Thalia nodded, kissing him again. "Hurry back."

"Mhm." Daryl said, moving his lips against hers. Daryl's free hand was on her waist, giving it a tight squeeze. Thalia pulled away from his lips, smiling widely.

"Be careful."

Daryl nodded, "ain't I always careful?"

Thalia crossed her arms. "If you were always careful, how did I end up with two kids?"

They both chuckled. Daryl walked off. "Ya got a point"

The mother watched the father of her children walk off into the woods, smiling to herself. Thalia could see the growth in Daryl, even when the others really couldn't. She was proud of him.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~[A/N]

HEYY! Look, I know I sort of disappeared. I got sick and had to hang up writing for a few days.

I'm so happy that you all are enjoying my book so far. It makes me happy. I can't wait for you all meet my third OC character for this season. It is going to leave you amazed and excited.


	18. Chapter E I G H T E E N

WARNING! This story contains spoilers, racial slurs, violence, graphic details, and explicit adult scenes.

(I have failed to add the DISCLAIMER in the first chapter! Anyways, I do NOT own The Walking Dead, if I did...there would be a cure by now).

Please excuse my grammar and spelling errors, I try to catch them before posting.

Please feel free to ask questions! I'd love to hear from you.

Anything said in a different language is translated at bottom in the author's note.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

"Where's Daryl?" Primrose asked her sister, Thalia, who was sitting on the front porch of the Greene's residence.

"He's out looking for Sophia." Thalia told her. Prim nodded. She sat beside her sister, glancing up at the sky.

"I've finished your tent by the way. You're lucky I carry a needle and strings with me at all times."

The sisters chuckled at Prim's banter. Thalia sighed.

"What's going on in that head of yours, mumble?" Prim asked her younger sister. Thalia shook her head.

"This world is shit. The only good thing that's happened is my babies get to be with their daddy."

"Hmm, I can agree with you. Speaking of the kids, where are they?"

"Kacee's on bed rest for a few more hours. Emma Kate is playing in the house with Beth, one of Hershel's daughters. Where's your son?" Thalia asked, looking across the field for her nephew.

"Probably chasing after that girl, Beth." Primrose said with a hushed giggle. "End of the world and that boy is still trying to charm a girl."

"Like his daddy, huh?"

Prim said nothing, she only smiled. Jaxon's father and Primrose divorced when Jaxon was just four years old. Soon after the divorce, Arthur, Rose's ex-husband, died in a horrible car accident. Leaving Jaxon a fatherless boy.

"Arthur was quite the charmer, for sure. He's so much like his father. I see it in him everyday."

Thalia glanced at her sister, knowing all to well that she blamed herself for her ex-husband's death. "Hey," Thalia said, nudging her sister's shoulder with her arms. "Stop doing that. Stop blaming yourself. It's done. He's gone. And there's nothing you can do about it. Just move on."

Prim chuckled humorlessly. "You act as if I can just go on a date with some random man. No, there's no one I want."

"We might meet more survivors. You could fall in love and make a baby."

"Don't be ridiculous. Having a baby now would be so reckless. I can't imagine doing that." Prim shook her head at the though of being pregnant again. "If I want a baby, all I have to do is take care of Emma Kate for a day. She's a living birth control."

Thalia looked at her sister incredulously. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"Not really." Primrose said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders. Thalia was about to say something when she noticed a group of people going to the well of water they were suppose to use. "What do you think is going on?"

Thalia shook her head before rising to her feet. Then, she noticed Shane getting ready to head to the highway. And she was meaning to go with him. "I don't know. But, I have to go with Shane to get this car I wanted for me and the girls. You can go check it out if you want."

"You know I will. Have fun with Mr. Walsh." Primrose said in a teasing way before catching up with Maggie and the rest of the group.

Thalia stood there for a second, watching her sister run off. "Ew. Me and Shane? Ew."

"Hey! Thalia, you comin' or what?" Shane yelled from his car.

"Yeah. Just don't ever say "comin'" again." Thalia said, walking towards the car.

"What?"

"Nothing, Shane. Nothing."

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Prim walked right over to the well to see Dale shining his flashlight at the bottom of it. "Looks like we got us a swimmer."

"How long do you think he's been down there?" Glenn asked.

Primrose made a grimace expression. "Too long. Merde."

"What does that mean?" Glenn asked, referring to the French word.

"Fuck." Primrose said, still examining the walker at the bottom of the well.

"He's been down there long enough to grow gills." Andrea commented.

"We can't leave it in there. God knows what it's doing to the water." Lori said.

"No shit." Primrose mumbled, pulling out her knife.

"What are you doing?" Maggie asked.

"I'm about to go in, kill it. You guys throw me a rope and I'll climb back up." Primrose announced. The men nodded, agreeing with her plan.

"What if the waters not contaminated yet? Killing him will surly do the job." Maggie stated.

"Him? It's not a "him" anymore. C'est mort-vivant." Prim said, eyeing the farm girl in an intimidating way.

"She's right." Shane said, walking up to the group. Thalia following behind him.

"That was fast." Prim said, noticing her sister's presence.

"We drove to the highway, jumper cabled my car, drove back. Didn't take too long." Thalia said, hands on her hip. "What's going on?"

"Walker in the well. Prim wants to kill it. Andrea and Maggie thinks it's a bad idea. Killing him will surly contaminate the water," Glenn answered for her, summing up everything that happened seconds ago.

"Even if we kill it or not, my ass ain't drinking out of that well." Thalia said with a scoff.

"I can't help but to agree with my sister."

"Then what are we going to do?" Maggie asked Thalia, seeing her as the secondary leader of the group.

"It has to come out alive," T-Dog commented. Thalia nodded.

"So to speak." Shane said.

"How we gonna do that?" Glenn asked, staring down at the well.

"Bait." Thalia said, pulling her hair into a ponytail. Everyone's eyes shifted to Glenn though.

"Why is everyone staring at me?"

"I don't know. But I'll go." Thalia offered, taking off her buttoned down shirt. So now she was only in her tank top, showing a small bit of her stomach. Her arms were bare.

"What and have Daryl kill us all if something happens to you?" Glenn said, shaking his head. "No, I'll do it."

"Let's get this done."

~THE WALKING DEAD~

"Have I mentioned I really like your new haircut?" Glenn complimented the ex-cop. Shane smirked, finding Glenn's weary attitude amusing. "You have a nice shaped head."

Shane slapped the Asian's shoulder before saying, "Don't worry about it, bud. We're gonna get you out of here in one piece."

"Living piece. The living part is important."

"Glenn, we got you. I got you." Thalia said sincerely as she sent him a wink. For a moment, Glenn felt secure that was until he actually went down the well.

Thalia positioned herself to be in the middle of everyone holding the rope.

"You people are crazy," Maggie said, disagreeing with whole plan. She was mostly scared for Glenn.

"Give us an eye there, Maggie." Dale said. Maggie slowly walked to the well. Glenn was seconds away from going down. With a deep breath, Glenn climbed down the well.

"Doing okay?" Maggie asked Glenn.

"Yup, doing great." Was his reply. "Living the dream."

"Little lower. Little lower," Maggie instructed everyone.

Thalia heard a squeaking noise but before she could react, the pipe that the rope was wrapped around broke, causing Glenn to drop lower than he wanted.

"Fuck! Shane grab it, hurry!" Thalia yelled before leaving her position to help Shane pull the pipe back.

"Get me out of here!" Glenn screamed. "Get it off! Get me out of here!"

Thalia's heart clenched at the sound of Glenn's screams. There was an unknown strength that took hold of her, she grabbed the pipe and pulled it so hard that Glenn was damn near thrown in the air.

There was a pause between everyone. Glenn was panting, his life flashing before his eyes. The rest of the group held their gaze on Thalia.

"You know...a picture would last longer..." Thalia said before walking over to Glenn, "Hey, buddy, you okay?"

"Back to the drawing board," Dale commented, referring to the live bait being a waste of time.

Glenn was out of breath but he gave Dale a small smile, "Says you." He passed Dale the rope that was wrapped around the swimming walker.

The group was relieved and proud of Glenn's accomplishment.

But that wasn't enough. As they pulled the walker up, it split in half, ruining the promised water.

"We should seal off this well," Dale said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea." Shane agreed.

"So, what we do about the–"

T-Dog plunged his stone picker into the head of the walker, answering the soon to be question.

Primrose noticed the disgusted look on Maggie's face before the girl walked away.

"Good thing we didn't do anything stupid like shoot it." T-Dog said sarcastically.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

It was going to be dark soon. Hershel said it was fine to allow Kacee to sleep in the tents. She was healing fast enough.

The pre teen was asleep on the side of the tent that belonged to her and her little sister.

Thalia sat on the cot that belonged to her and Daryl, she was braiding her youngest daughter's hair.

"And then the Cookie Monster told me to stop eating the cookies!" Emma Kate exclaimed, rambling on about her latest dream.

"But I thought you were eating pies?" Thalia questioned her youngest child.

Emma Kate nodded, "yeah but I was eating cookies too, mama."

"That just tells me you got a sweet tooth, like your daddy."

Emma suddenly got quiet. "When's dada coming back?"

"Hmm, won't be long now." Thalia picked up a brush and handled it to the toddler. "Why don't you be a big girl and brush sissy's hair for mama?"

"But hers gonna be mad."

"Don't brush too hard like last time."

Emma nodded before entering her side of the tent.

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Thalia walked out of the tent. When she looked to her right, she saw Daryl walking out of the RV.

"I was just talking about you."

Daryl grunted, "To who?"

"Your baby girl, Emma. She misses you."

Daryl nodded. "Where is she?"

"Brushing Kacee's hair," Thalia said, nonchalantly. Daryl raised an eyebrow.

"Last time baby girl did that, KK damn near punched her in the face." Daryl said, worried about his youngest daughter.

"KK is asleep. She'll barely feel Emma brushing through her curly locks."

Daryl gave his lady a smirk. Thalia's eyes shifted to the RV. "So, uh, how did the search for Sophia go?"

"I ain't find her, but I did find a little cabin that someone her size could fit in."

"That's a big break. You're doing great, babe." Thalia said before rubbing her hand against his biceps. Daryl glanced at the sudden touch, then back to his lady's brown eyes.

"You tryna start something?"

Thalia smirked, "nothing that I can't finish."

Daryl scoffed humorously, "Yeah, we'll see about that."

"Before we start anything, we have to get the girls feed and then off to bed."

"After they fall asleep?" Daryl asked, only to confirm if they were thinking about the same thing.

"Then we'll see who'll finish what I started."

~THE WALKING DEAD~

Rick paced back and forth in the room where his son rested. Lori said she'd be back, she had to finish some business up. He was suspicious of her actions but didn't feel like questioning her. He was still worried about his boy, his son.

There was some commotion outside of the room. It sounded like the Greene family along with Patricia and Jimmy were happy to see someone.

"I told ya I'll be back. Took me a while, had to be patient, had to go around a lot of the infected...but hell...I made it back."

That voice.

Rick's eyes widen before he opened the door.

The tall man turned around, only for his eyes to go wide.

"Rick?" The man asked.

"Rod?" Rick asked.

The two men nodded at each other before coming together in a hug.

At last, the brothers were back together again.

~A/N~

I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD FINISH THIS CHAPTER UP AND HAVE FOR YOU GUYS!

Thank you for your support and love. I've been going through a lot. The struggle is really real.

Anyways, I don't know if most of you know but...I've been a YouTuber for five years. Haven't had much success but I thought that maybe some of you are interested in getting to know me as an author/person. If you're interested,

Let me know!

As always, leave some feedback! I love to hear from you guys!


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